Torn Allegiance
by Aralain
Summary: Kiyoshi was afforded a great honor and is set to marry the strongest and most powerful member of her clan, but that wouldn't be the end of her story because there was someone who would never let her go, someone she could never let go as hard as she might try. A person's life is never quite as uncomplicated as it appears, something Hyuuga Neji is about to learn. GaaraxOC ( Neji)
1. Chapter 1

Torn Allegiance

Written by Aralain

Disclaimer: the Naruto world is not mine. It is only being borrowed. Thank you for understanding and for hopefully enjoying my story. Set after the 4th war though I studiously ignore Neji's honorable death because I refuse to accept that he is gone :

"Hai, Hiashi-sama," Kiyoshi whispered, her head bowed respectfully in his presence. Her hands were folded perfectly before her, knees digging into the hard ground almost painfully. "I understand my duty to yourself and this clan." Her voice was calm and clear, light as air. None could imagine how deadly this kunoichi could be when provoked.

"That is good. This match has taken much deliberation. Two betrothals have been broken to bring it around making it of the utmost importance than you ensure the mission is a successful one. Do not fail me," he said, a darkness to his tone that sent a chill through the young kunoichi who nodded with an aching deep inside her. She was afraid… more than she had been afraid of any mission, of any enemy. This was going to be harder than any of that, but she'd known… She'd known that it would happen one day.

"You are dismissed. I will require your presence at the main house tomorrow morning at dawn. Will that be an issue?" he demanded.

"I have a meeting with hokage-sama at noon, my lord. That is my only required engagement for the village tomorrow," she said.

"Very well," he said. She took this as her cue to leave, rising to her feet and bowing deeply before backing out of the room with a show of practiced calm. She gracefully side-stepped a fast-moving kunoichi rushing past the door.

"Gomen, Hanabi-sama," she murmured, though her apology was almost completely ignored. She stepped into her black sandals, straightening as she saw another form approaching her. She turned to fully face the heiress, bowing deeply. "Hinata-sama, I hope you are well," she said. The beautiful kunoichi smiled sweetly, bobbing her head in a simple nod. Her long purple-hued hair fell over her shoulders in long waves. She was dressed in a simple, exquisite kimono.

"I am very well Kiyoshi-san," she said. "Will you join me?" she asked.

"Of course, my lady," she agreed. She couldn't exactly deny the heiress of the clan anything. Though she knew Hinata would never use her power of the curse seal, it was still her duty.

"Sometimes feels like we're all just pawns, does it not?" Hinata asked in a soft, sad voice as she led her cousin to a table in the garden. Kiyoshi had never been to the main branch home before. Her family was rather low in the clan, hardly noticed until Kiyoshi had come along. She had followed in Neji-san's footsteps, impressing their clan leader and even the hokage by earning the rank of jounin young… at fifteen. She was not particular outstanding within her bloodline limit. Few of the clan members who were as low down as she were actually trained extensively in the Byakuugan. She had been forced to follow in the footsteps of non-specialized shinobi. She sought her own strengths and used them to become a great Hyuuga.

"My lady?" Kiyoshi asked, softly. Hinata was three years her senior and had grown quite astoundingly in the last eight years since becoming a shinobi. She was not a woman to be trifled with and with the sealing of her younger sister Hanabi this year, her position as heiress would be cemented. Kiyoshi was no revolutionary, but she knew that Hinata-sama would change things. She would help the branch families and Kiyoshi could not help but feel gratitude towards the older girl. She seemed to not only see the lowest of their clan, but to feel for them as well.

"I tried to help you Kiyoshi," Hinata said with regret in her voice.

"Help me…" Kiyoshi repeated quietly. "Hinata-sama are you referring to the betrothal?" Her eyes rose to the beautiful lavender orbs of the heiress. People outside the clan were oblivious to the different shades of Hyuuga eyes, the complexity of the colors that shined within them. Only they could distinguish the subtle differences in each other's eyes, the beauty of each individual's particular color. Most in the clan would agree that Hyuuga Hinata's were the most beautiful hue in the clan and not simply because they were afraid of their leader's censure should they say otherwise. Her eyes simply were… breathtaking.

While many had looked upon Hinata as weak through most of her young life, no one near Kiyoshi's level of the family had ever understood why. Her grandmother Hitomi spoke often of the influence of beautiful eyes, of kind spirit. Grandmother Hitomi had taught Kiyoshi, her brothers, and her many cousins that it was shinobi like their young heiress that would change their world, just as Hinata's mother had done… giving women an equal position in the clan… at least as far as was possible in their times. Hinata's mother had been the reason Kiyoshi had done so well really and Grandmother Hitomi had reminded her of that often while she had been growing up, accrediting each success to the benevolence and kindness of their first lady. It kept Kiyoshi humble, made her want to strive to help people like that woman, like Hinata.

Hinata seemed sad and Kiyoshi couldn't help but be moved by this woman, so strong and yet so considerate of others. She was going to make a brilliant leader. That was certain. "Hinata-sama," Kiyoshi began, understanding the heiress's silence as a "yes" to her previously-spoken question. "I have worked my whole life for such an opportunity."

"I don't understand," Hinata murmured.

"It is not an easy thing to understand for one such as yourself," Kiyoshi murmured, looking up at the clouds as they darkened above them. There would be rain tonight. She could smell it. The faint taste of it lingered in the air, mixing with the scent of the flowers surrounding them. She loved training in the rain.

"I would like to understand," Hinata said.

"It would take a long time my lady," Kiyoshi said with a soft sigh.

"I have time, Kiyoshi-san!" Hinata said quickly. "That is… if you do not mind telling me." Her cheeks reddened slightly and Kiyoshi smiled, shaking her head.

"Of course I do not Hinata-sama," Kiyoshi murmured. "Though, it is not a pleasant story." Hinata waited patiently, and Kiyoshi knew she was prepared to hear it, or at least that she believed herself prepared to hear it.

"I am from a poor family. My father was disgraced my family with a defection from the clan, betraying my two older brothers in the worst way possible. They had to work twice as hard to take care of myself and my mother, whose decline was also an embarrassment to all as well. Only shame has ever fallen upon those closest to me."

"Kiyoshi," Hinata whispered sadly.

"My lady, I am sure you knew all of this already. You are to polite to hold these things against my brothers and I, but our clan as a whole is not as understanding as you. Our village is not as understanding," she said. "I am not complaining, not saying that I was scorned. Even in the lowest branch families, there is support… there is love. Family bonds are more important with us than most clans which I know you are aware as this support comes from even the highest and most honorable family." Kiyoshi could remember a time when Hiashi-sama's wife, Hinata's mother had personally come to Grandmother Hitomi's home bearing food and blankets when they'd first been transferred to Grandmother's care.

Hinata nodded, listening carefully. Kiyoshi found it quite likely that Hinata knew very little of the lower levels of the clan. They were considered untrustworthy by Hiashi-sama. The young jounin doubted her heiress spent much time with anyone of Kiyoshi's family. It would surprise Kiyoshi if the young heiress knew half of her closest relatives. It was so strange for such a high-ranking member in the clan to be so interested in what someone like her had to say, but she had known that things would change. That was why she could not deny the clan-leader's plans for her upcoming nuptials, not that her sense of duty would ever allow it.

"After the embarrassments of my parents, my prospects became very slim. I wasn't considered worthy of notice. My betrothal to my cousin: Hyuuga Haruto was severed on my eleventh birthday. He claimed he could not marry so low… that it would ruin his family's prospects and I don't think he was wrong," Kiyoshi said thoughtfully.

"You were not upset?" Hinata asked, almost breathlessly.

"It broke my heart," Kiyoshi corrected quickly. "It was the first time my father's defection and my mother's disgrace had ever affected me so directly. It was all I had to cling to the last strands of my standing in the clan. This clan… it is everything to me. I would die to uphold our beliefs, to protect our way of life. I threw myself into training, When I graduated the academy no one thought anything of it. Any Hyuuga could become a shinobi, even one as lowly as I. My brothers had done it after all. When I made chuunin, not an eye was batted. Both my brothers had already done that as well. My byakuugan activated when I had been very young but it took a serious mission for me to realize I needed to get a handle on it. I trained myself to use it in necessary situations. Neither of my brothers nor my father before me had learned to use the family kekkei genkai and I was finally noticed. My great-uncle Hito trained me against much contest from his more higher-standing relatives. He took a chance and I did everything I could to repay him. Within a year I was a jounin," she said.

"Neji-kun says you do not use gentle fist techniques," Hinata said.

"It is forbidden," she said, brow furrowing in seriousness at the mention of the techniques used by only those closest to the main branch.

"I know, it's just… Neji became a jounin at sixteen and you were the same age when you underwent the trials. I'm just trying to understand how you-" Hinata snapped her mouth shut embarrassed.

"How I have done so well. It is not offensive to me Hinata-sama. Little has been expected of me from a young age. Hamaki-sensei is the main reason. I would never have been able to accomplish what I have without him and the rest of Team 2," she said lightly. "He also introduced me to Maito Gai who has been my sensei many years now."

"You have come far… with so much against you," Hinata said. "I still don't understand why you've so readily accepted marriage to someone you hardly even know."

"Because it's not about me, Hinata-sama. It's about our clan. I am honored that I have been chosen by your father for such a match. I am humbled to think that I have changed the way many of the clan sees my family. My brothers are welcomed into the homes of relatives who had been afraid to associate with them before. We have been welcomed back in fully and though many have treated us so badly that we may admittedly never be able to forgive, there is good that comes from all of this. We are not predestined to be as our parents were… not forced to live only under the expectations of others. We can always be more."

"I understand," Hinata whispered. Kiyoshi nodded, and the pair fell into companionable silence. It was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Hinata, father wishes to speak with you," Hanabi said, her voice filled with derision. Hinata seemed to flinch under the force of it. Kiyoshi stood with the heiress.

"I will take my leave then, Hinata-sama," she said quietly. She bowed slightly to Hinata then Hanabi, before turning and retreating from their presence.

Only once outside the walls of the main branch home did she take off. She sped for her family home. Her eldest brother Hisoka was away on a mission and Hideki worked at the shinobi academy. She was tired, exhausted even. Hiashi-sama had summoned her straight off of a week working on the border between here and Suna. She wanted nothing more than a long shower and to sleep until Hiashi-sama had requested her presence in the morning.

One look at the house and she sighed. Her brothers were hopeless without her. At first she'd been thrilled when they'd been permitted to return to their family home, but she'd not realized how much extra work that meant for her. It was all right though as long as they could be together somewhat, her brothers and her. It took some of the strain off grandmother at least. She was getting up there in years and though she'd never admit it, she was getting tired much more quickly these days.

Kiyoshi set about cleaning up after them. Though she'd never complain, a trait she'd learned from Grandmother Hitomi, it was tiresome coming home from a mission just as important as any one they might have and still have to pick up after them. She loved them to pieces, but this was out of hand. She wondered vaguely if Hiashi-sama had spoken to her eldest brother about her betrothal. In most cases, the consent of both sets of guardians was required for such a match, but it was not strictly required if Hiashi-sama was involved. It would not be the first time her family ties had been completely discounted by the clan.

There was a knock on the door and she looked up from tossing Hideki's clothes into a hamper. She went to answer it, the basket balanced upon her left hip. "Obaasan," she said, bowing respectfully. "Please, come in!" She beamed at her beloved grandmother. She immediately reached to take the large dish with her free hand, balancing it easily.

"You have returned safely once more. We are surely blessed," the old woman said, her voice strong still in her age. She shuffled in, bent from the long years she had lived… her long happy life as a mother of four then grandmother of 13 had been just as much strain upon her as any shinobi life. Kiyoshi rushed to place the dish in the kitchen, dropping the hamper in the other room before returning to take her grandmother's elbow.

"Blessed indeed obaasan," Kiyoshi agreed, leading the old woman into the sitting room. She enjoyed the sunshine that shone through the large windows of the room, Kiyoshi knew. She immediately moved to the each of the windows, opening them wide.

"You look ill, child," the old woman said, eying her closely.

"I am a bit taxed obaasan but it is nothing to be concerned about. I returned a few hours ago from my mission to Suna," she said.

"Suna… You're always off in Suna, Suna this and Suna that. Hours, then you surely had time to clean yourself up and get some rest. What on earth have you been doing child!?" the woman exclaimed. Kiyoshi smiled, knowing how strongly her grandmother, Hitomi, believed in looking after oneself. She had been a tyrant around bath time when Kiyoshi had been very young, back when both her parents had still been around.

"I had an audience with Hiashi-sama, obaasan," she said, patting her hair down self-consciously but it was still restrained quite purposefully in a long braid down her back.

"In that state covered in sand and smelling of those people!" her grandmother said in an admonishing tone, covering her heart as if it had given a terrible jump. Grandmother Hitomi was never above dramatics.

"He had an urgent matter to discuss, obaasan. It was no insult to appear before him as such. He insisted I go there directly," Kiyoshi laughed.

"What did he have to say little one? Don't keep an old woman in suspense!" the old woman said, nervously. There was always a bit of censure in the lower branches when Lord Hiashi condescended to summoning one of them personally. It was rare, but had been happening more often with Kiyoshi over the years. He seemed to have take a particular interest in her the last few months as well. Kiyoshi understood now, but it had been quite perplexing for a time.

"I am to be married, obaasan," she said. Her grandmother's eyes widened, jaw slackening. She would not lie in saying that she prayed for something like this. Arranged marriages were simply a part of clan life, one that she had long ago surrendered herself to.

"That is… what an honor," she said softly. "You are alright, little one?"

"Of course obaasan. I am honored to have been chosen," Kiyoshi responded evenly. Still though, emotion did not permeate her words and while before Hinata-sama she could use logic to explain her willingness to agree to the arrangement, her grandmother cared little for logic which made it a bit tricky. Hitomi herself had married for love and believed that emotions were the heart of everyone's lives, that nothing was more important than how a person felt for another. She'd always told her granddaughter to think with her heart because her mind was always too clouded for her own good distracted with violence and too much other convoluted nonsense.

"He said nothing to me!" the old woman said, in a harsh tone, rising to her feet. "Does he have no propriety at all? You may have no parents but he must still ask for your hand before he gives it away, clan leader or not! This is not the way we do things in this clan!" Kiyoshi blinked in surprise. She had never seen her grandmother angry, sure she was known to get cross ever once in a while, but this was pure, uncensored anger in her eyes.

"Obaasan, he could have spoken with Hisoka-niisan," Kiyoshi soothed. The older woman remained stiff, but after a few moments relaxed, taking the idea into consideration. Her breathing evened out and her frail, shaking hands unclenched from the fists they'd curled into.

"Who is this man you've been betrothed to?" Hitomi asked, her clouded eyes taking her granddaughter in critically.

"Can I get you some tea, obaasan?" Kiyoshi responded, rising to her feet. She moved towards the kitchen without a response, her cheeks tinged with red. She didn't know why she was hesitant to tell her grandmother. She would not be disappointed. It just felt like when she told her grandmother, it would be cemented and she was hardly able to believe it herself. What if the Lord Hyuuga changed his mind?

"Little one," her grandmother muttered sternly. Kiyoshi paused in the doorway, placing her hand on the doorjamb and looking back. "Sit down," she ordered. Kiyoshi lowered her head, coming forward obediently.

"You know that there is always a choice," Hitomi told her. Kiyoshi shook her head.

"Not this time obaasan," she said softly.

"But there's a boy. I know there has been a boy," Hitomi said. Kiyoshi flinched. She shook her head. Her grandmother missed little.

"It will help my brothers. It will help the family," Kiyoshi replied with a calm she did not feel. Only her Grandmother could break her down with a stare and that stare was more weighted than usual.

"Ever since you were a little girl, you've always done everything for this clan. You've given everything," the old woman said. "'I will help our family' you'd say. 'I will make our family great again'. 'I will bring honor to my family' you'd declare again and again."

"It was my duty, obaasan," she replied, calmly.

"I have lived a long time, Kiyoshi-chan. You will not be a shinobi forever and when you are not… all you will have is your family," she told her. "All you will have is love. You must be sure that you are doing what is good for you. You always have a-"

"Second house," she interrupted softly. Her grandmother's eyes widened and her breath caught. This time there was no ploy, no acting. She was sincerely shocked.

"The second house" the woman murmured. Silence fell over them. Kiyoshi was glad for it. Her grandmother understood now. There was not a choice in this. No one would dare deny the strongest shinobi in the clan, a jounin who had surpassed the clan leader himself, Hiashi-sama's own nephew Hyuuga Neji.

"Thank you for looking after Hideki, obaasan," Kiyoshi said, breaking through the tense silence. Her grandmother would speak no more on the subject, too conflicted of course. She believed in marriage for love, but the honor in this match… it was too much to deny and to even speak of it would be an insult to the main branch, punishable by…

"I enjoy looking after my beloved grandchildren. Your mother was always my favorite child," she said distantly. Kiyoshi nodded. She had heard that many times before. She had taken the death of her beloved daughter very hard, harder than Kiyoshi even who'd spent many nights tending to a woman who had all her energies bent on drinking herself to an early grave. Since then, Grandmother Hitomi had forbidden all of her children and grandchildren to drink alcohol in any form. Hideki of course didn't pay that any mind. He was the most unruly of the three of them.

"I apologize for the state of our home since my absence. Hideki never has been interested in picking up after himself and Hisoka-niisan is not much better I'm afraid."

"It is hard raising two boys isn't it?" Hitomi teased, but her expression turned somber once more. "You're only seventeen… when does Hiashi-sama wish to have you wed?"

"During the festival I would guess, but we did not discuss such specifics," Kiyoshi said, not pleased by the return to the previous subject, though she put up an unaffected front. Her grandmother pretended she didn't see right through it and Kiyoshi pretended she believed that.

"So soon?" her grandmother murmured. Kiyoshi looked up at the approach of a familiar chakra signature. She excused herself politely, going to the door. She opened it to be met with the sight of Mimura Hamaki.

"Taicho?" she frowned, taking him in in a few moments. He was still dressed in full battle gear. She could tell he hadn't changed. He was wearing the same muddied blue shirt and pants. He had a speck of blood on his green jacket just left of the zipper from when she had cut her hand. She looked down at her hand, still in dirty bandages. It didn't look like she would be having time to change them.

"We've been called in on an emergency mission," he said. "Can you get yourself together?" The kunoichi frowned. Emergency missions were very rare, and almost invariably dangerous.

"Hai," she nodded, indicating he should come in with a wave of her hand and rushing into the next room. "Obaasan, I am being called away for a mission," she said quickly. "Forgive me for my abruptness, but I must leave you now."

"I'm used to it after all these years little one, in a family of prestigious shinobi who are always in high demand," the old woman grinned tiredly.

"Thank you for your understanding. Please tell my brother that if I am not returned by tomorrow at sunrise, he must report this to Hiashi-sama immediately," Kiyoshi said.

"Kiyoshi!" Hamaki called from the next room, with urgency.

"What's going on?" she questioned, grabbing her pack that she had only just set down by the door on her way in. She swung it over her shoulders, following her captain out the door. He took off towards hokage tower and she followed close on his heels.

"Suna has uncovered something in the wind country. It's top secret until we reach Suna. We head there immediately and from there Subaku no Kankuro will brief us and lead us from there," he said. He stopped, turning and holding up a hand. She stopped on a dime, looking him straight in the eye.

"I was placed in charge, told them I wanted you on, but I know there could be resistance to your placement. You are my shinobi right now, remember that," he said, no apology in his tone. She didn't expect it. He wouldn't have requested her if he didn't think it was important. "All I know is that it has something to do with the Hyuuga and I don't walk into a shit-storm of Hyuuga without my number one Hyuuga at my side. Besides, Wind Country is your ground. I'm just the captain here."

"With my clan?" she questioned, alarmed.

"That's why I needed you and why I need you on my side here," he replied, staring at her, his brown eyes serious. She nodded and he started for the tower once more, Kiyoshi hot on his trail.

I'm not usually a Gaara writer, but I'm very excited to hear what you think. We will have the Great Lord Kazekage in the next chapter. ;-) Take care./span/p


	2. Chapter 2

Torn Allegiance

by Aralain

Disclaimer: again, I don't own the fandom, just creating this for the enjoyment of myself and my readers.

Kiyoshi was used to Hamaki's abruptness, used to him not being overly forthcoming at times, but he was clearly disconcerted about this mission. When they landed in front of Hokage tower, they headed up the steps outside the building to the main shinobi entrance above.

Kiyoshi stayed a step behind her friend. He held the door for her, dark eyes staring down at her as she moved ahead into the building. He was sizing her up just as she was watching him for any sign of weakness. They were very honest with each other and if either of them felt the other wasn't up for the mission, they would say so. They were partners Kiyoshi and Hamaki and they relied on each other, had for many years, since long before the fourth ninja war. Honesty was important in their world. Politics and shinobi relations were always tense realms to get mixed up in after all.

Hamaki quickly over took her a few steps into the building and he didn't look at her again. She had passed his scrutiny and as she watched him stride ahead, she concluded that he had passed hers as well. They were in the Hokage's office a few minutes later, Hamaki entering without a word. The occupants were clearly waiting for them. Kakashi-sama was leaning back in his chair, facing the two other shinobi. She assumed they were members of their squad. One was a Hyuuga. She could tell from behind, and not just by reading his chakra. He wore traditional jounin Hyuuga garb, allowed to high-ranking members of the clan.

Kiyoshi wore a mix between traditional Hyuuga style and Konoha style not that she could wear full-Hyuuga anyway with her low standing. Her long-sleeved white top was tight to her skin. She was not a gentle fist user and the cumbersome clothing they wore may work with their ninjutsu-based abilities was impractical for her fighting styles. She wore a knee-length white skirt over long, dark-blue leggings that reached down to her mid-calves.

Kiyoshi followed Hamaki forward, glancing over at her fellow Hyuuga. Her breath caught and it took years of practiced shinobi calm to turn her head forward once more, focusing her full attention on the Hokage. She stood straight-backed and serious, not allowing a break in her well-learned, well-practiced Hyuuga bearing.

"Kiyoshi, you look like hell," Hokage Hatake Kakashi said, nodding to her. The look he was giving her was very calculated as if he was taking in her every small movement and he undoubtedly was.

"Hokage-sama," she bowed respectfully to the Rokudaime, meeting his eye for a moment before averting them respectfully.

"You will be able to perform?" he questioned.

"I will not let you down Hatake-sama," she replied to the affirmative

"That it for you Hamaki?" Kakashi asked. "Is it alright with YOU if I proceed with my briefing?"

"Hai, hokage-sama, just Kiyoshi. You know I don't like leaving home without her," Hamaki said, nodding his head.

"No you don't. The more Hyuuga the better according to Gaara," Kakashi muttered. Kiyoshi stiffened obviously not liking the sound of that. Hamaki made a note to ask her why she was so uncomfortable later. There was obviously more to it.

"What is this about Hatake-sama?" Neji questioned.

"Gaara didn't want the information to fall into enemy hands so your guess is just about as good as mine," Kakashi said.

"Enemy hands… Who would even attempt to intercept a message between Konoha and Suna?" the dark-haired kunoichi beside Neji spoke up, a disbelieving look on her face.

Kakashi's eyes shifted to Kiyoshi and she immediately spoke as expected. "There are many shinobi groups disillusioned enough to think they could interfere with the strong bond between Konohagakure and Sunagakure. Though all are well informed of the relationship between the Nanadaime Hokage: the honorable Uzumaki Naruto, and the Kazekage of Suna: Subaku no Gaara, most shinobi cultures put little stock by personal relationships and connections.

"Hamaki-senpai and I spent the better part of the last two weeks with Subaku no Temari in Suna and on the border between Wind and River. There have been bands of rogue shinobi cropping up everywhere and many of them bent on the disruption of the Suna-Konoha alliance. I can only speak for myself, but I believe there is a single force behind these groups. Temari-san is in agreement on the subject," she said, speaking mostly to Kakashi, facing him the entire time. He met her gaze evenly; unsurprised by anything she had to say as usual. They had only spoken on the matter four hours before. The intelligence was pertinent to the mission however and the others should be as aware of the current political situation as possible if this summoning had anything to do with the interference. The girl wearing the white and pink shinobi getup raised her eyebrows at her, seemingly sizing her up.

"Who are you?" she asked. Kiyoshi wouldn't say so, but she got the distinct impression that the other kunoichi wasn't actually talking to her and that was confirmed at the next comment. "You're Hyuuga obviously. Neji?" the girl asked, looking at her teammate.

Kiyoshi turned to fully face the kunoichi. "Forgive my rudeness. I am a bit tired but that is no excuse for having neglected introducing myself right away. I am Hyuuga Kiyoshi and I am pleased to finally meet you, Tenten-san. I have heard impressive things about you." Kiyoshi had no problem being the first to be polite. She was used to people talking down to her or discounting her completely even. The easiest way through it she found was to stick to what her grandmother Hitomi had taught her.

"You have?" Tenten asked, her face tinting a slight pink. She glanced at Neji as her face lit up.

"Yes, Rock Lee is a member my squad. We work with Hamaki-senpai," she said. "Lee-san is one of the best shinobi I have ever worked with and with any comrades of his I would be proud to serve. I am happy to have been given this opportunity.

"Lee," Tenten said slowly, reddening further as a different expression came to her face. Kiyoshi observed this with a frown, not understanding the reaction completely.

"You have only just returned from a mission?" Neji questioned, sharply. "This mission calls for great speed and delicacy. We cannot have any-"

"I am in no way incapacitated!" Kiyoshi interrupted sharply before realizing herself. She reddened immediately, bowing her head and taking a small step backwards. She gritted her teeth together.

"I apologize Neji-sama. Of course I defer to your judgment," she said softly, keeping her eyes glued to her feet. Hamaki's eyes narrowed and he cleared his throat loudly, taking a firm step forward. She realized immediately that this was what he meant before.

"And he defers to my own as the captain of this squad. I would take you over him on any mission anywhere and under any circumstances. I wish we could leave his arrogant ass here now but Kakashi insists," Hamaki growled lowly from beside her.

"Hamaki-senpai!" she admonished stiffly, anger boiling inside her. He knew how she felt when he talked about her clan like that.

"She comes or I stay, Kakashi," Hamaki said. His voice brooked no room for argument, running a hand through his short brown hair, dark eyes shifting lazily to Kiyoshi then back to the Kazekage. The lines in his face were drawn. He was tired and not because of lack of sleep. He was tired from his long years as a shinobi. Kiyoshi was his kunoichi. She kept him sane and he kept her together as well.

Even Kakashi listened to a jounin who'd been through as much as Hamaki. He'd faced the Nine Tails when the fourth had had to give his life to contain it. Many shinobi had died that night, but Hamaki had lived to tell the tale not that it was an event he enjoyed recalling. His survival in and of itself deserved respect. He'd been jounin since before Kakashi had made genin. There was no one left like Hamaki, no one active at least.

"Relax, I told you she was yours Hamaki," Kakashi said, with a completely bored tone. "Look, you have the information. Deal with your squad outside of my office will you?" he questioned, pulling out his little orange book, the cover so worn that it was turning a sickly yellow color.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," he said bowing. He glanced at his protégé whose head was still bowed in shame at how she'd addressed Neji before. Hamaki couldn't tell if it was her acting or not. She was very good at playing Hyuuga. He then glanced to the proud Hyuuga that had put her into such a state. Hamaki's eyes narrowed as he saw the Hyuuga staring at her with a contemplative look. Hamaki ran a hand through his hair again, leading the three junior jounin from the room.

"I'll brief you on the way Kiyoshi. We don't have time to waste," Hamaki said.

"Hai, senpai," she nodded sharply, taking off from the hallway window to the rooftops. Tenten glanced at Neji.

"You can tell she's trained with Lee. Look at her movements," she said. Neji nodded in agreement.

"What information do you have?" Kiyoshi asked as soon as they broke out of the village and into the wooded area surrounding Konoha.

"Very little to go on. We have been told that the Kazekage admitted that if the roles of this mission were switched, he would label the mission A-ranked. Not even in secure, coded transport would he say explicitly what he had on his hands, just that a Hyuuga's presence would be required, high level."

"They requested a high-level Hyuuga? And we're sure that this is not an attempt on Neji-sama's life and that the message is directly from the Kazekage?" she asked lowly.

"You have never expressed doubt upon the intentions of Suna leadership before, especially not Gaara-sama," Hamaki said, clearly surprised.

"It is not Gaara-sama that I doubt. I have been trained to never take a chance with the live of a high-level Hyuuga. It is ingrained in me deeply. If the message came from the counsel I would request an immediate termination of this mission. He should not have been brought despite our close ties with Suna," she said, with a frown.

"And I am not an invalid," a bored voice said from behind her.

"Hyuuga, might your superior hearing have better use directed behind us as you are on rear security?" Hamaki said sharply, not even glancing behind to the Hyuuga.

"The rogues have not done anything odd to indicate any such plot and the counsel has almost no power in Suna anymore with Kankuro in charge to keep them in line with Gaara-sama's decisions. We just returned from the border. If there were anything afoot, our team would have been able to judge the shift. Subaku no Temari is a terrible liar and her brother would not leave her out of something like this. Be on your guard, but do not expect the worst," he ordered.

"I wish Lee was here," she said with a frown.

"Well he's in the hospital for about thirteen more hours until those sedatives wear off and he breaks out to chase us down, that baka," Hamaki joked.

"Baka," she agreed. "Any preference on routes?" she asked.

"You're the expert. Are you going to ask me every question? Shall I remind you to breathe every few seconds?" Hamaki barked, irritated. She rolled her eyes as he fell back next to Tenten's side. She increased her pace, darting through the trees at an impressive speed for a shinobi who hadn't slept in two nights and had only just returned from a two day run.

"Kiyoshi!" Hamaki called at nightfall. She glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Find me a secure area." She immediately complied, reaching out her Byakuugan and identifying the nearest, most usable area. She dropped down, followed within a second by the other three. Immediately she was off again.

"Rest, you are our guests after all," Hamaki said, waving his hand in a large, generous swoop. He dropped his pack, leaning back against it, closing his eyes.

"Are you serious? You're going to make her set all-" Tenten began, but in a moment Kiyoshi was standing before them again. Tenten and Neji frowned. Neji activated his Byakuugan to look around before turning his eyes back to Kiyoshi in shock, but she wasn't looking at him. She knelt in front of her captain and spoke in a tone so quiet that it was almost impossible for the other two to hear.

"Hamaki, don't think you're getting out of guard duty," she said, glaring at him.

"What happened to when you used to respect me?" Hamaki asked.

"I offer the utmost respect to you when you deserve it. You have forced the team to go on the last six missions without once taking a night of guard duty," she said, with a frown.

"It's training," he said. She stared at him blankly. He sighed, standing up and jumping up to a tree. He sat down with a sigh, crossing his arms.

"Petulant child," Kiyoshi muttered to herself, once again very quietly, but she happened to be walking past Neji when she said it. He looked to her in surprise. She was so stiff and formal all the time.

Hyuuga Kiyoshi had seemed a walking robot of a shinobi as Hanabi described her when she began to become a much more noticeable person just over a year ago. Becoming a jounin was a big deal and while Neji had thought Hanabi only jealous because Kiyoshi had stolen what she believed to be hers. It had been the first time in decades any woman under the third house had ever done so and the attention Hiashi had paid the lowly girl had drawn Hanabi's ire. Neji had been inclined to agree with her though about Kiyoshi being machine-like, upon seeing her around the village and most especially within the clan.

"I heard that," Hamaki said from above, but she said nothing, walking out of the small area without a word. She was probably checking the perimeter, but she returned soon. The Hyuuga kunoichi removed her pack and lay down at the foot of Hamaki's tree. She used the pack as a pillow. Hamaki dropped down silently, already having removed his chuunin jacket. He laid it over her without a word, crouching beside her and placing a hand on top of her head for a few moments. It seemed so normal, so personal… their routine apparently, an uncomfortably familiar routine. It brought up a lot of questions, questions he didn't ask, glancing for a moment to his own female teammate. Hamaki returned to his tree branch, not glancing their direction.

Neji paced between a few trees and double-checked that what he'd seen before on their perimeter was what he'd actually seen. They were there though. They were real: the Great Tortoises. It was a completely perfect perimeter, a perimeter that was unbreakable. Neji knew that because it was his genin sensei's line that had defended them throughout his genin and chuunin days. He came to a stop a few feet away from Kiyoshi.

Neji looked down at her, considering her carefully. When had she ever trained with Gai and how the hell did she get him to teach her that jutsu, his most guarded secret? Not even he or Tenten had been given that training. Gai had said that it was a specialty in its own and one that had to be paid particular attention to or it would come without respect or true purpose. He'd also mentioned that his tortoises were looking for a certain type of person, a certain type of shinobi whose youthful flames could contain its shear brilliance. He did like to go off on long speeches like that.

"Neji-sama, please forgive my rudeness, but if you continue to stand over me like that I will be unable to rest and I only returned from the Wind Country's Southeastern Line today without rest along the way. I am very tired," Kiyoshi said in a small respectful tone. He frowned.

Tenten chuckled. "Neji-sama," she said mockingly. Neji threw her a glare before looking back at the Hyuuga lying below him and wondering if she knew yet. Had his uncle broken the news to her? What had she said? Of course she'd accepted, but what was going on in that head of hers? He blinked surprised when she let out a sigh and stood up, walking to the other side of the small clearing and laying down there, pulling Hamaki's jacket tightly around her and shifting the contents of her pack with a few shakes before laying her head down.

"Goodnight hime-sama," Hamaki said, smirking.

"I brought a spare a shuriken especially for you," she muttered into her arm, which pillowed her head.

"Ya, ya," Hamaki murmured. Neji glanced again around them to ensure he was not losing his mind before moving to sit beside Tenten who looked up at him with a frown.

"Gai taught her," he said.

"Taught her what?" she asked.

"We're surrounded by tortoises," he said.

"No way?!" Tenten exclaimed. "Gai-sensei told me he was showing someone, but a Hyuuga? Remember he said it was a speci-"

"Specialty of its own, yes I do," he nodded.

"Why a Hyuuga then? She has her eyes."

"She is low branch. She can use it for little more than increased chakra-sensitivity and in rare instances improved distance sight," he explained.

"I wonder what he saw in her," Tenten said, mirroring Neji's thoughts. This was one of the speeches she'd actually paid attention to from Gai-sensei. He said the technique was waiting a certain type of person to master it. So what made her it?

"Do you know her well, Neji-san?" Tenten asked.

"Clearly I do not," Neji muttered watching as the kunoichi slowly drifted off into sleep. She was pretty enough, but that was not why Hyuuga Hiashi had chosen her. He had chosen her because she was supposedly the strongest Hyuuga kunoichi in the clan. Neji wondered if they'd see that this mission and a part of him really wanted to know if she was as good as they said.

He lay down and closed his eyes, deciding to sleep rather than stress over the fact that the girl he'd just been engaged to seemed to be closer to her captain than she should be. It wasn't fair for him to judge her too harshly if she did have feelings for him. He had feelings for Tenten. They were both going to have to deal with that, put it aside. She would marry him. Of that he was certain. He didn't know Kiyoshi well, but he knew the honorable Hyuuga from the village. She was Hyuuga to her very core and she would never turn down instructions from Hiashi-sama.

The next day dawned and as Kiyoshi awakened, she sat up slowly, rubbing her neck carefully, a troubled look on her face. "Nightmare?" Kumade asked, standing over her. She tensed, looking down and to the side. "Your sleep was troubled. You want to talk about it?" He crouched beside her with concern in his eyes.

"You should know, Kumade. We are not walking into a favorable situation in Suna. Gaara-sama wouldn't… he wouldn't target someone of my family, but we are not going to be welcomed in our usual manner," she told him, glancing to the other sleeping shinobi. It was early in the morning. She couldn't help disapprove of the fact that they were still sleeping. No the sun hadn't risen yet, but this was a mission. She'd only slept as long as she had because she was incredibly sleep-deprived. Before last night, she hadn't slept for over 60 hours.

"You? Not welcomed in Suna?" Kumade laughed loudly. This stirred her Hyuuga cousin whose eyes blinked open. He sat up, looking to them immediately, then away.

"I can't explain now, but I can tell you that the contract fell through," she said.

"THE CONTRACT!" Kumade shouted, rising and looming over her. "HOW THE HELL COULD THE CONTRACT FALL THROUGH!" he roared. Tenten jolted away. Kumade clenched his fists tightly. "Was it Kakashi? Is he playing his games? I swear I will-"

"It was NOT the hokage, either hokage," she added. "Control yourself," she ordered, standing with a fire in her eyes that he met evenly. They stared each other down for a few moments. He drew a deep breath, letting it out in a huff.

"You assured me, you assured Kankuro the president of the Sunagakure Council that all arrangements had been made. You made promises, Kiyoshi," he said.

"With all due respect Kumade-senpai, I did not make promises to Kankuro-san. I told him that I was going to deliver the scroll to the Hokage, but it was out of my hands from there. He knows I cannot make miracles happen!"

"Miracles? We worked on this for months. Every point was agreed upon except for the final clause. You had two consenting sides of a binding agreement and the Hokage was well aware of the-"

"It was out of my hands, senpai," she said.

"It was the clan, wasn't it? I will-"

"Tread carefully, Kumade-senpai!" Kiyoshi's voice raised slightly. Kumade took a step towards her. Neji was at her side in a moment, seeing the way her body tensed as she stood facing her long-time friend and colleague. She held up a hand before him.

"Get away from her, boy," Kumade muttered. "You neither know what this discussion is nor will you want to be a part of it."

"Neji-sama, I am perfectly capable of handling Kumade-senpai," she told him.

"You should have told me sooner. Now I understand your concerns about endangering your precious clan genius," Kumade muttered, turning from her and walking a few steps away, letting out a heavy sigh. "You should have told the Hokage."

"You know the Hokage already knows this," she replied.

"Why would Neji be in more danger because of a contract falling through?" Tenten asked. "Why would Neji be in danger in an ally village at all?"

Kiyoshi looked at Kumade evenly. She would not answer that question. She could not answer it. "Shifting political situations are dangerous, Tenten-san. There's no way to ensure the safety of a high-level clan member in the face of this sort of environment. Do not worry. I am perfectly capable of handling Suna," he said. When he saw this didn't appease her, he walked towards her with a smile. "I was a guard to the third hokage for ten years and Kiyoshi has been rated as a jounin-level guard shinobi as well. Your teammate is not in any true danger."

Kiyoshi however looked to Neji who was watching her closely. She shook her head. It wasn't true. He WAS in danger, but she said nothing. She didn't contradict her team leader. She looked in the direction of Suna, clearly eager to be off again. She walked out into the trees to take down her line and Neji waited uneasily, hardly listening to whatever assurances Kumade was giving Tenten. If Kiyoshi was nervous, that made him nervous. Rumor had it Hyuuga Kiyoshi was fearless. He was not surprised to find it was not entirely true.

Thank you for reading. Follow, Review, and Favorite! More to follow!


	3. Chapter 3

Torn Allegiance

by Aralain

Disclaimer: this is not my world. I am only dabbling

Author's Note: I realized that I fibbed about Gaara being in the next chapter and felt horrible. Here is my penance. This chapter is nearly twice as long as the other two and it DOES have Gaara! Please enjoy.

The next day's run brought them well into the River Country. This time they planned to stop for only a few hours before heading on into the Wind Country. Neji volunteered to take guard and stood watch as the others prepared for rest. Kumade laid down right beside his teammate, closer even than he slept near Tenten, but he said nothing. He didn't want to get involved in it right now.

The young Hyuuga focused on their surroundings, looking down when Kumade shifted below. He removed his chuunin jacket, placing it over his comrade once more. He placed his hand on her head, leaning over her for a moment but saying nothing before settling beside her again. It was definitely a routine, he acknowledge, a warm, tender routine that made the questions form in his head once more.

He tensed when only minutes later Kiyoshi's eyes shot open. She was on her feet in a moment. "Hamaki," she said sharply. He was gone in a flash. "Neji-sama, please remain here. Tenten-san, please ensure that he remains safe." In seconds she was gone as well.

Neji and Tenten looked at each other not even knowing where to go to stand against whatever danger had come. Minutes later, Neji could hear voices preceding the two back to their clearing, but he had to tune his hearing in very carefully. Tenten was only able to catch snippits.

"I told you to go easy Kiyoshi! I can't interrogate a dead rogue!" Hamaki snapped.

"He's jounin-level senpai. I recognize him from the black book, which you would as well if you'd look at it for more than five seconds and I told you I'm not taking any chances with Neji-sama's life. If you would like me to spell that simpler it is: I will not bring any enemy shinobi within 100 meters of him unless it is a dead one," she said.

"You're just being stubborn now Kiyoshi," he said.

"And you're just being an idiot. If Lee were here, he wouldn't allow you to lecture me like this," she replied.

"Lee would agree with me," Hamaki snapped back.

"Lee never agrees with you, he appeases you. If you weren't so full of yourself, you would be able to see the difference taicho," Kiyoshi's voice said from very near now.

"I still say you should have left the bastard alive," Hamaki said, entering first.

Kiyoshi's entire tone changed when she stepped back into the clearing. "Hai senpai. I will try harder to immobilize next time rather than kill," she said as she followed him in, reverting once more back to the 'robot' Hanabi had called her before. She had a large shinobi slung over her shoulders, which looked ridiculous since she was rather small. She took a few steps into the clearing before she dropped him down, kicking him over. He had a clean cut straight into his chest. If Neji looked closely, he could detect a bit of a twist with the entrance wound. She had shredded his heart. No one could survive that and it could have taken only a split-second. The poor bastard didn't have a chance.

"Think they were sniffing our trail back to Konoha?" Hamaki asked.

"Well I don't know how else he would have found this route. It's my favorite one, very secluded. He must have been following the scent of Lee's blood from the ambush site. You were right. We should have returned to the line rather than pushed forward to Konoha," she said, raising her hand to touch her shoulder. Neji looked closer at the girl, noting the blood stains on her green jacket from the enemy shinobi and the slight color to her hands. Blood never did wash out. He knew that well enough.

"We need to move out. Until we reach the Suna-Konoha border and can obtain a Suna escort, we will not rest," Hamaki said. Neji frowned, glancing at Tenten, but he would not say she did not have the endurance. Despite training with Gai for so many years, she hadn't quite kept up the endurance portion of his training after she left his care. If she fell behind he would carry her, but he saw her as his responsibility not Hamaki or Kiyoshi's.

"You gonna be alright Kiyo?" Hamaki asked quietly, placing a hand on Kiyoshi's shoulder. She shrugged him off quickly, glancing to Tenten and Neji. She nodded to them before performing a hand sign and slamming down hard on the shinobi who was immediately dug into the ground. She cut her finger and performed the symbols for a Kyuchose jutsu and a tortoise appeared. "Inform Gai-senpai of a rogue shinobi's presence here. Please ask him to have a medical team dispatched to collect the remains at this location," she instructed.

"Hai, Kiyoshi-chan," the grey-shelled tortoise barked out disappearing in another poof of smoke.

"If you have difficulty keeping up you need to let me know," she said, looking to the ground in a way that indicated to Neji that she was speaking to him and probably Tenten as well. Before he had a chance to respond, she was a blur again. He waited a brief second for Tenten and Hamaki to take off before following in suit.

The first couple trees had suffered a bit of damage from an over-use of chakra, but from there on out, the branches he landed on carried no trace of Kiyoshi's steps. They stayed close and moved quickly. As Neji had anticipated, Tenten began to show signs of slowing near midday the next day, but with a sharp look from him she pushed herself. She knew how to press to her limit. She was Gai's former-student after all.

Kiyoshi stopped suddenly a few hours into the afternoon, Tenten nearly barreling on past her, but Hamaki grabbed hold of her arm before she could do so, pulling her back behind Kiyoshi whose Byakuugan eyes took in whatever was ahead of them with a very somber expression reflected in her eyes only.

"Hamaki-san, I will need to summon a forward team from Konoha to replace our line forces," she said, glancing to her right as Neji walked up beside her, equally stunned but also showing no outward signs of being so, their faces reflections of each other, steadfast blank Hyuuga.

"When this mission is over Hamaki-san… I will come back here and I will crush them all, every single rogue infesting this line. I will scour the River Country for their kind and I will not show them mercy," she said softly.

"There are no threats currently in the area," Neji observed softly, before stepping off the branch and dropping to the ground.

Kiyoshi performed a quick hand sign. The same tortoise from before looked at her in confusion, not used to back-to-back summons. It had hardly been twenty-four hours. "Send word back to Gai-senpai. We no longer need one collection crew for the rogue shinobi. What we need is an entire reserve platoon sent to the River/Wind Border and another sent on to Suna," she said. "Situation critical."

"Hai," he said simply, disappearing.

"Permission to see to the wounded, Hamaki-san?" Kiyoshi asked, glancing back at him.

"Wounded?" he asked for clarification. She nodded. "Do it," he instructed. She was gone in a moment. Tenten looked to her captain who looked hesitant to follow suit.

"Taicho?" she asked.

"You have healing abilities?" he asked.

"Some," she nodded. "Standard chuunin medical training."

"Then follow me," he said, jumping from their branch to the next and the next until the scene that had been visible to the Hyuuga was now visible to them. Bodies, many bodies… everywhere.

"Gaara-sama, where do you want us?" they heard her voice up ahead. Hamaki jumped to her side, the Kazekage looking tired and very aggrieved.

"Hamaki," he nodded to the man. "Kiyoshi, I…" he stumbled to the side. She moved to catch him, but wasn't quick enough and only served to cushion his fall.

"Kazekage-sama!" a voice called.

"I've got it Matsuri," Kiyoshi told her glancing over her shoulder at the younger kunoichi, still managing to look like a noble Hyuuga as she was hefting the weight of the Kazekage from her and sitting him up carefully.

"Hai, Ambassador-sama," Matsuri said, taking a step back and returning to her wounded comrade. Tenten blinked in shock at the title, eyes widening on the Hyuuga who was now crouching with one arm wrapped around the shoulders of the injured Kazekage.

"Hamaki, help her," Kiyoshi said, the medic in her taking over. He nodded, not objecting to her order. He never did in a medical situation or otherwise really. They were a team the two of them. An order from her was unfamiliar but he'd never hesitate to follow it just as she didn't hesitate to follow his commands.

"What happened Gaara-sama?" she asked quietly.

"Mist… they sent it," he said, breathing hard and still leaning against her a bit.

"What did they send?" Kiyoshi frowned,

"I don't know what it was, a summoning of some sort," he breathed. "It took a lot to kill it," he told her. "A lot." He pressed his hand to his side, which was soaked with blood. She placed her hand over his. She pulled his hand away ripping the side of his shirt open and observing the wound.

"Not critical," he muttered. She nodded in agreement.

"Let's get you somewhere safe Kazekage-sama," she said softly, taking hold of his hand in a firm grip. She pulled it over her shoulders and stood easily. "Taiko-san!" she called. The combat-oriented shinobi was looking around helplessly as he had no medical skills to assist the situation.

"I can still-"

"You can do more good in Suna, Gaara-sama," she whispered.

"Please allow Tenten to assist. You have medical ability whereas her skills are not a good match for the situation," Neji said. Kiyoshi frowned deeply, glancing at the weakened Kazekage with conflict clear in her eyes. Then she looked to Tenten whose eyes were filled with an uncertainty. They were also the eyes of a warrior who needed direction. Standard Chuunin medical jutsu was grossly inadequate to meet the demands of this situation. "Kiyoshi," Neji said, trying to jolt her from her thoughts. There were still shouts of pain.

"Please see to my shinobi Kiyoshi-san," Gaara said. "Your teammate and Taiko will be sufficient to return me to Suna and she is a close comrade of Lee-san is she not?" Kiyoshi hesitated still for another moment but once Taiko had a hold of the kazekage she lifted the Kazekage's arm carefully from her shoulder.

"I will see to you in Suna, Kazekage-sama," she said, bowing respectfully. Neji watched the exchange with interest, curious about the way the kunoichi held onto the Kazekage's hand perhaps a few seconds longer than necessary to remove it from her shoulders, the way her eyes followed him with worry and not just the standard worry of a medical ninja. He shook his head. First he imagined an inappropriate relationship between her and Kumade and now the Kazekage of Suna? He was subconsciously searching, hoping she had something like he did with Tenten, hoping she would be the one to deny their clan leader, but he knew she wouldn't. She wouldn't do it. He needed to focus on the task at hand, the cries of the wounded shinobi around them.

"Kiyoshi, he's going into shock," Hamaki said loudly but still calmly from where he stood with Matsuri.

"Tenten!" Neji called. The kunoichi was there a moment later. Kiyoshi was already walking away but she glanced back at the kazekage once more before kneeling beside Baki who looked like death. Her hands were green the moment she laid her hands upon him, lighting up her face with an eerie glow. Kiyoshi brought him back to a stable level and called for a carry team who arrived quickly. She gave Matsuri succinct instructions on how to monitor his heart rate on the journey while he was being moved back to Suna and then moved on to the next. She and Hamaki split up and soon they were all working on patients.

Neji couldn't keep from looking back at her every once in a while. She had taken over command of the situation quickly, which was shocking. Even Suna shinobi didn't take commands from a Konoha shinobi usually. It had been different during the war, but they'd returned to their villages once the war ended. He then recalled Matsuri calling her ambassador from a distance. He had not been aware she'd been awarded a position of such power and as a female shinobi it was even more unusual. Even Hamaki heeded her instructions and he was her team leader.

Neji understood why the always-respectful Kiyoshi referred to Hamaki as senpai and not taicho now. He was the captain of the team true, but she was the ambassador, the most pivotal member. He had the experience but he wasn't exactly the commander. Ambassador teams were abnormal in that way. They were specifically built around the Ambassador and while it was clear Kiyoshi saw Hamaki as the team leader, it was also clear that they were closer comrades than a captain and his subordinate shinobi. He'd not even known that his comrade Lee was assigned to such a prestigious team. He was a guard to the Konoha Ambassador to Suna. Why had he never mentioned it? It was highly unlike him.

Obviously there had been a great number of explosive tags involved in this attack. Neji couldn't help but notice that her hands tied tourniquet after tourniquet more skillfully than he could attempt. He'd even seen her follow behind him, tightening one or two improvised ones he'd done as she went. Her priority was evacuation and soon they were whittling down to fewer and fewer wounded. It was easy to see the numbers fade as each and every injured shinobi was brought to and laid at Kiyoshi's feet for triage. She ordered the evacuations with a firm and decisive voice. Forces trickled in from the village in about the same numbers that they left with the casualties. This was an impressive response on the part of the village of Suna. He couldn't help being impressed.

When the entire field was clear of wounded, Neji found himself exhausted and a bit stricken by the things he'd witnessed this day. The mangled bodies never became easy to bear. It was horrifying to see the mass of flesh they could be reduced to so easily. He looked for his cousin first his eyes activated. She was a very short ways away, in a draw sunken between two high points. She must have wandered there after she had ordered the last evacuations. He started towards her at his fastest speed as he watched her collapse. By the time he made it to her side she was already on the ground, leaning against a large rock. Her body was shaking and her eyes stared straight ahead at nothing. Her hands were covered in blood. It stained her knees and there were even a few drops on her cheek.

Below, about fifty meters out was one end of a truly hideous creature, a great caterpillar that was blown in pieces in some parts and intact in others. It was burned and had countless shuriken and kunai buried into its carcass. It was terrifying and Kiyoshi stared at it through unseeing eyes as shinobi below worked to study it, some taking samples while others glared at it somberly. This was the creature to which Gaara had referred. This was the thing that had been sent to demolish his line shinobi, their line shinobi.

After observing Kiyoshi's dazed state for a few moments, Neji touched her shoulder hesitantly. She glanced up at him, blinking a few times then turning her eyes forward again. His hand lit with blue chakra, but just before he was able to place it on her shoulder to replenish her chakra, she took hold of his wrist. "I appreciate your concern, Neji-sama but Hamaki used more chakra. He is very wasteful with medical ninjutsu even more than me," she said.

He watched the way she blinked slowly, her heart rate so fast and pounding so hard that he could hear it without effort. Dark circles surrounded her eyes and her face was pale. Still, she would defer assistance to her comrade in a tone of utmost respect and gratitude of course. She was definitely a Hyuuga and one to be proud of. Perhaps he would not be as miserable attached to this woman, as he had initially believed.

Neji remained at her side, not sure she was well enough to be left alone. "Please do not worry about me. This is the normal kind of shock, not chakra-depletion," she said as if that would reassure him. He nodded though, knowing that she wanted him to move on.

Neji stood leaving her be to locate Hamaki. When he returned, it was to find her asleep against the trunk. Without her to object, he placed a chakra filled palm to her shoulder, enhancing what little chakra she had left greatly. Then he performed a jutsu to keep her asleep and lifted her up. Hamaki came up behind him, taking her from him without a word. He nodded to the Hyuuga and they took off together, leaving behind only the remnants of what must have been a terrible battle, one they had only just missed.

When they entered the village, they were of course stopped at the gate, but Hamaki presented their mission scroll and they were immediately sent forward, most eyes lingering on the unconscious kunoichi who was apparently well recognized here. Neji walked a few steps behind, taking in bit by bit her position in this village and comparing it to her position in Konoha. He'd noticed only a small change in her demeanor since they left Konoha from her interactions with Hamaki, but she'd impressed him before in that mass casualty incident. She was a truly commanding ninja. He hadn't known that she specialized in any particular area, but she'd shown a measure of talent in medical ninjutsu today… more importantly the ability to lead and direct many shinobi at once.

As they neared the hospital, Kiyoshi began coming to. Her eyes blinked open alighting on Hamaki's face. She didn't immediately react, but after a few moments she jerked out of his hands, landing on her feet in a low crouch. "You know I do not like being kept asleep by jutsu," she snapped angrily.

"I didn't perform it," Hamaki replied. She glanced over his shoulder at Neji who did not react at all.

"You will not do that again, Neji-sama," she said, no request in her voice. It was a demand. She lifted herself up to her full height, less than impressive for one of Hyuuga blood. "Where is the Kazekage?" she asked.

"We only just arrived Kiyoshi. I'm sure he is secure," Hamaki said.

"I request permission to confirm," she replied calmly.

"You're going to do it anyway," Hamaki said. She was gone in a moment. "Hyuuga, go with her. I'll find Tenten," Hamaki said, turning towards the hospital. Neji nodded hurrying to follow her rapidly diminishing chakra signature. He found himself headed quickly towards the Kazekage tower, but was stopped by a large ANBU, quickly throwing him backwards. He readied himself for a fight, hoping he could explain his way out of this. There was a flurry of shuriken, but it was not his kunai that blocked them, but a few swipes of a ringing sword. He looked down at the kunoichi in front of him.

"Attack an escort to the Konoha Ambassador again, ANBU-san. I dare you," she said in a cold, steely tone.

"I was not aware that he-"

"You are a liar. Get out of here before I call upon the Kazekage Guard," she growled. There was a flicker and he was gone. "You are unharmed?" she asked, glancing back at him.

"What just happened?" Neji muttered, knowing that she was right. He'd been lying. The male Hyuuga had barely been a few steps behind Kiyoshi.

"There are even enemies in Suna. Please do not attribute his actions to that of a true Suna shinobi, Neji-sama. I will explain in detail later on," she informed him.

She took a normal pace instead this time, likely to avoid a similar incident. She even dropped down to the main entrance to Kazekage Tower, walking in amidst what was still a mild amount of chaos. People stopped as she entered, turning and bowing their heads. A chorus of voices uttering "Ambassador-sama" followed them, echoing for a still moment before voices started up again. It was most surprising.

When they reached the kage's floor, Kiyoshi presented her identification answering a few clearly encoded questions before being allowed to go on. Neji remained close to her, pausing in the doorway as she walked straight into the kazekage's office. She walked right up to the Kazekage, nodding to the medic who was attempting to heal him. The medic stepped aside bowing to her before walking out of the room. Neji moved aside to allow her passage. "Gaara-sama, might my comrade enter?" she asked as she placed her hands on the Kazekage's back at precisely the perfect point on his back to feed her chakra into the center of his network.

Gaara looked up, eyes narrowing at Neji, but he nodded, shrugging her shaking hands off. "You don't have the chakra to spare," he told her seriously. She scowled, but bowed. She moved slowly around the desk to stand beside Neji, trembling uncontrollably. Gaara's gaze lingered on her for a moment, but he said nothing. Neji knew she needed to get out of here. She was still trying to process the event. He was as well, but he hadn't been quite as personal with the wounds of the injured back there. He'd seen three screaming shinobi die under her hands. She needed to take a knee as Gai always ordered in training when they overreached themselves. If Gai thought you had pushed yourself too far, you had. Neji knew that's what he would think of Kiyoshi right now.

"Where is Hamaki?" Gaara asked.

"He is locating our teammate Tenten-san Kazekage-sama" Kiyoshi replied immediately.

"You all need rest. We can revisit your mission after we clean up what has happened here. It's a good thing you came as well Kiyoshi-san," he said.

"You said the mist was the perpetrator?" she asked, even her voice shuddering and halting. He nodded slowly.

"I spoke ahead of evidence," he admitted in a tired voice. "Still, they've never been overly-fond of the Wind Country. It was the only reason they remained loyal to Konoha during the third shinobi war," he said, raising a hand to touch his forehead as a pain shot through it.

"Well, if you are correct, it was only a matter of time I suppose," she whispered, looking down with a frown. She held her quaking hands in front of her then closed them into tight fists, but her entire body continued to fight her. Neji watched with frustration, as he knew there was nothing he could do.

"I will not declare war until the Mist makes claim on what has happened. Rogue Shinobi have been a problem since the end of the fourth ninja war, but I do not think this was an isolated band of shinobi and not just any rogue shinobi could get their hands on a monster like that," he said.

"Kazekage-sama, they could have killed you," Kiyoshi muttered.

"They almost killed Temari," he replied with a frown. "She's in critical condition." Kiyoshi's face paled, her breath catching in her throat. Grief and worry reflected in her eyes and she covered her stomach as it turned over. "I'm sorry. I know you are close with my sister." Kiyoshi steeled her expression, shaking her head in an attempt to clear it and focus.

"How many confirmed casualties do you have from Konoha?" she asked distantly, looking rather ill.

"Three, but we may have more. The hospital was still sorting through the wounded when you arrived," he said. "Moegi, Udon, and Suchiro. They fell before I arrived. I am sorry."

Kiyoshi glanced to Neji who nodded. Moegi was only a genin while Udon and Suchiro were both chuunin. All three were on Konohamaru's chuunin guard team. He was in the village training with Naruto-sama or he'd have been here for that fight. Losing them, not being there when they needed him… That would be a blow for him.

"You did what you could Kazekage-sama. If you would like, I will take charge of the casualty crew. I have less attachment to the shinobi you've lost and it will be easier for me," she said softly.

"You do not have the strength," Neji whispered, turning towards her and taking her arm gently. She pulled away immediately, but he continued to face her, scowling severely. The Kazekage's blue eyes remained fixed upon his desk, a frown etched deep into his pale face, his blue eyes troubled.

"Kankuro has already taken that upon himself," Gaara said. She nodded.

"Is there something that I can do Kazekage-sama?" she asked, ignoring Neji's steely gaze.

"Look after Temari?" he suggested, not looking up at her.

"You know I am no clinical medic Kazekage-sama, hardly a medic at all really," she said. He shook his head.

"I just want someone to be with her while Kankuro and I take care of this mess," he admitted, glancing to Neji then looking at Kiyoshi seriously.

"Hai Kazekage-sama," she said softly, bowing her head.

"And the rest of the team Kazekage-sama?" Neji finally spoke.

"I would like to keep a consultant from Konoha with me. Hamaki will suffice. Please see to it that he-"

"I'm here Kazekage-sama," Hamaki said from behind the two Hyuuga, walking right into the office just as Kiyoshi had. The ANBU behind Gaara hardly seemed to care. Gaara glanced up at the well-seasoned Konoha shinobi who nodded to him. "I have sent Tenten to meet with the reserve team Konoha will be sending from along the border."

"Thank you Hamaki," Gaara muttered, glancing at the shinobi who nodded. He felt better knowing that Konoha would reinforce his bedraggled shinobi still on the line. A weak border made for a vulnerable country and there were many attacks along their borders lately from rogue bands a problem Hamaki and Temari's teams had been working to correct.

"What are you tasked with Kiyoshi?" Hamaki asked, looking at his comrade seriously.

"I am not tasked Hamaki-san, but Temari was badly injured," she said somberly. He scowled.

"Go ahead and keep Neji close," he said, glancing at the older Hyuuga.

"Hai," she said.

"Gaara-sama, Kiyoshi will contact Konoha as soon as her chakra returns," Hamaki said, glancing to Kiyoshi, but she needn't be told that. She already knew it would be done.

"It will take at least two hours, but then Gai-senpai will let us know the status of our incoming teams. We should expect them in just less than three days. He will send his fastest," she said.

"Ah," Gaara said. Kiyoshi nodded to him then to Neji before turning from the room swiftly, worried for her friend.

It didn't take long before they were in a hospital room. Kiyoshi sat next to Temari's bed, staring at her with an expressionless face. Neji stood in the corner of the room, taking in the pale woman. She had obviously fought like a shinobi to get into this type of condition. She had an IV in her arm, various machines attached to her body monitoring this or that. What was blatantly obvious though was how pale the normally very tanned kunoichi was. It was uncomfortable to see her in such a state.

"What interest would the Mist Village have in attacking the River-Wind border?" Neji mused aloud.

"The Kazekage has his biases against the Mist Village. They have earned their censure from him. I don't believe this was the Mist. I think the enemy is a rogue element. This border has been under constant attack these last months. It is essentially the border between Wind and Fire in their eyes. It was probably simply a statement of power, a means by which to shake us. Outside a handful of high-ranking individuals in Suna and myself, no one knew Gaara-sama would be on the border that day, not even Hamaki-taicho. Clearly, they had planned to wipe out the full force of Konoha and Suna shinobi along that portion of the border. They got more than they bargained form running head on into Gaara-sama."

"You are sure it was not an attempt on the Kazekage?" Neji questioned.

"No rogue I have ever heard of would stand a chance," she muttered.

"And if it was the Mist?"

"The only mist shinobi that could face Gaara-sama and stand a chance of defeating him is the young Mizukage, but I do not think he would win that fight. In any case, he does not come at things straight on," she said softly, her eyes not leaving Temari's face.

"You think Gaara could defeat the Mizukage?" Neji asked, frowning. Kiyoshi met his gaze for a moment before looking down once more as was usual for her. So she would meet Gaara's eyes but not his. She was really strange.

"There is not a doubt in my mind. Hokage-sama is not the only kage constantly improving, Neji-sama," she said. She lifted her hand towards Temari's as if to take it, but hesitated and lowered it once more.

"She's just so still," she whispered. "Don't you find it strange to see a comrade down with injuries? The stillness is just… it's too disconcerting." Neji stared at Temari for a few long minutes, thinking of Tenten's injuries following their first chuunin exams or the countless times Gai or Lee had trained themselves into a comatose state or gotten so badly injured in a battle that they hardly woke for weeks. He knew what it was like… what she was feeling so he left her to her thoughts for an hour or so but he had a pressing curiosity about this girl. He wanted to know her more, to know who she really was underneath her stoic, obedient mask.

"I had not known you held any position outside the village," he said.

"It is not unusual to overlook one such as me, Neji-sama," she whispered.

"You need not call me that," he told her.

"I know my formality can be uncomfortable Neji-sama, but anything less formal would be disrespectful to your status and would embarrass my honorable family despite our inevitable… connection," she replied softly. She lifted the pitcher of water next to Temari's bed and poured a glass carefully. "Doesn't look like you're going to be able to drink this, Temari-chan," she muttered, raising it to her like a toast before bringing it to her lips.

"So, it was you that organized the new treaty between Konoha and Suna?" Neji continued. She choked slightly on her water, but didn't sputter instead managing to down the water and regaining her faculties before attempting to answer.

"Kankuro-san was the one behind the treaty. I argued a few points and adjusted it enough to make it amenable to Kakashi-sama's view for the future of our village's interactions," she responded. "I simply presented the finished version at the Unity Festival. You were Naruto-sama's guard then were you not?" she asked. He inclined his head.

"There was a marriage attached to that contract was there not?" he asked, frowning. It was clear to him why that was something to immediately come to mind standing in the room with the woman he was only a week before officially betrothed to marry.

She stiffened but nodded, swallowing the cool water before setting the glass aside. "A high-level clan of Konoha and a high-level clan of Suna will join by marriage. It is traditional in Suna politics. Konoha may be a bit more progressive, but the people of Suna still believe in the old ways and being a shinobi of the Hyuuga, it did not seem a valid point to argue though it was of course Naruto-sama's first objection."

"Have they had discussions about who it might be?" he asked. "Hyuuga?" He knew what such a match would mean for the clan. It would bring great honor to them and Hyuuga was the strongest clan in Konoha. It was only natural they should bind this contract.

"It was planned once before but that fell through," she said, not looking his way.

"Why? It would be a high priority. I didn't think Suna would dare back out of such an important arrangement," Neji said.

"The breakdown was not on Suna's end. It was the clan leader of Konoha who withdrew his blessing for the match in the end," she said.

"Which clan?" he pressed onward.

"Neji-sama, it would be a conflict-of-interest for me to answer that question," she murmured.

"Hyuuga?" Neji concluded, shocked. "Which shinobi?"

"I would rather not say," she said, still not looking back at him, her shoulder stiff.

"Suna held their end. Were they angry?" Neji asked, frustrated that she would not tell him whom this betrothed shinobi had been.

"I was not here when they found out… As a matter of fact, I have not been inside the village since the betrothal was broken. I am sure the village is angry, but this is not the time for such anger. It is time to come together and face what needs facing," she said, looking down at Temari.

Kiyoshi looked down at herself and seemed to only now notice the blood on her. She shuddered, quickly standing. She ripped her zipper down, shrugging off her chuunin jacket then pulling off her white spandex without a care for modesty. He did not look away. She crossed the room to the sink, throwing her shirt into it and resting her hands on the counter, leaning over and breathing heavily. The shaking had abated for a few hours, but it was back now and it was very obvious with the kunoichi bare before him. Her torso, arms, hands, legs. She was a minor quake all herself.

"You're unaccustomed to so much blood?" he asked.

"Of course not. No one can become accustomed to such a thing," she spat out angrily. She let out a long breath then shook her head. "I apologize. I am a bit on edge," she admitted.

"No apology needed," he replied. "You performed well."

"It doesn't matter how I performed. Three Konoha shinobi, shinobi who were young and strong and full of potential… they are dead," she said. "Who knows how many Suna shinobi were lost," she shuddered. She turned the water on and slowly scrubbed her skin, ridding herself of the blood that stained her deeper than it looked.

"Suna is strong. They will survive as will we," he said. She nodded, drying off her hands with a towel that followed her shirt into the sink. She walked back to her seat beside Temari, settling heavily upon it. He was unbothered by her lack of modesty. She was a strange shinobi, but they'd seen enough today that his future wife baring her arms and abdomen was the least of his concerns.

"They behave much like our clan, this entire village," he said.

"Is it your first time in Suna, Neji-sama?" she asked. He nodded. "I suppose they are quite a bit like us."

"Except in Suna YOU are not regarded the same here as you are in the clan." She blinked, not having anticipated where his thought-process was headed. He watched her muscles tighten along her back.

"I am an ambassador, an aid to the Kazekage, nothing more," she exclaimed quickly.

"The amount of respect shown to you here… you are no mere aid," Neji corrected. Her face reddened deeply. "Why should that embarrass you?"

"I did not ask for it. I never wanted to be known outside of Konoha, outside the clan for that matter," she admitted, softly.

"Now it is the only place you are truly known. Here you are free," he said. Her jaw tightened, but she said nothing. There was a brief silence in which Kiyoshi tried to formulate the proper response. They were touching on an issue that was a pivotal difference between the two of them, one that was likely to cause turmoil in their relationship and while she knew she should defer to his opinion, as she was a shinobi of lower standing within the clan, she would not budge on this.

"Neji-sama, you think you know what it is like… being a branch member, but you will never know. You can not understand," she said.

"I have felt the oppression-"

"That is exactly it, Neji-sama. It is not about oppression. Giving your respect to something, your heart to something, and your loyalty. It is…" she paused, looking away. "You do not know what it is to be a branch shinobi." She sighed, shaking her head.

"You love the clan that much?" he gritted out.

"I love a great many things, but if I'm honest with you what I love most is the freedom of the whole world around me. I am free wherever I go because of the knowledge that wherever I go, there is someone else who will care for me and who I can care for. That knowledge is balanced with the truth that when I return to Konoha I have family, a family who accepts me as what I am, as lowly as my position is. The clan… my roots are there and without them I cannot fly."

"And your betrothal affords you the ability to fly? Without any more toil or trouble?" Neji asked bluntly, watching her carefully. Her shoulders did not relax, but she shifted slightly so she could look him square in the eye. It was the only time outside the tense mass casualty incident that she met his gaze so fully.

"I was honored by the offer of your hand, Neji-sama, but I understand if it does not please you. I have already heard much of your censure in any match. Even the lowest of us hear these things. I do not seek power in this life my lord. I seek goodness, warmth. I do not wish to hurt anyone and I am sorry that the one you love should be hurt by Lord Hiashi's decision. I will not hold it against you if you formally decline," she said. He didn't have time to recover his shocked expression as she looked upon him blankly. She was completely steady, calm even, but there was something in her eyes, something that told him she knew so much more than he thought: about him, about Hiashi-sama, about everything, much more than she should at least.

There was a knock on the door and Kiyoshi stood, walking to it. She opened it to the nurse who quickly moved to Temari's side and started taking notes without bothering to spare the kunoichi a glance. "Will she be alright?" Kiyoshi asked in a soft tone.

"She is out of the critical danger now Ambassador-sama. She should recover. It will just take time," he said, eyes on Temari. Kiyoshi nodded, allowing him to do his job and move out. Just as the nurse left however, another person arrived.

Kiyoshi turned sharply as she caught his scent from the doorway. She bowed deeply. "Kazekage-sama," she greeted. He waved his hand indicating he didn't want the formalities. She relaxed, glancing back at Temari then stepping aside fully so he could see her.

"They say she'll be alright. The doctor mentioned her head trauma being severe in the charts, but the latest report is she will recover," Kiyoshi told him. Gaara glanced at Neji before looking back at his sister.

"Neji-sama," Kiyoshi said softly. He didn't need to be told what she wanted. He left the room, closing the door behind himself. Kiyoshi placed a hand on Gaara's shoulder. He looked at her tiredly before lowering himself into the chair beside his sister.

"The total numbers have come in," Gaara said. She waited patiently for him to continue. "Four were lost on the Konoha side and eight Suna shinobi, mostly chuunin and genin."

Kiyoshi sunk down on the edge of Temari's bed, looking down at the blonde woman so small in this state, so much smaller than her true self. She looked at Gaara with concern, knowing how KIAs affected him. He was unable to separate himself from the blame. Sure, he was able to keep others from seeing it, but it hurt him deeply.

The young Hyuuga slid off the bed and onto her feet carefully. She took a small step forward and lowered to one knee, taking hold of his hand, which rested on his knee. He looked down at her, questioningly. She gave him a sad smile. His hand turned in hers grasping it tightly. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she quickly brushed them aside with her free hand. She tightened her grip briefly before retracting it. She stood swiftly drawing a couple deep breaths to regain her composure. He placed a hand on her forearm and she closed her eyes again, covering it with hers. She stood only a moment before she forced herself to walk away as if some form of genjutsu was controlling her. Her hand snatched her chuunin jacket from the floor as she went and as she stepped out the door, she pulled it on, zipping it up to her neck.

Neji was sitting in the hallway, unmoving and apparently undisturbed. He watched her turn the opposite way down the hallway and rose to follow her. She said nothing and he did not disturb her thoughts. Gaara remained in the room looking at his sister with a frown on his troubled face.

Kiyoshi showed Neji to the ambassador quarters, walking in without pause. She quickly swept the house for any booby-traps or something else which might put Neji in danger. Kiyoshi left him to his own devices, stumbling her own tired way down the hallway to a room where she collapsed on her sleeping mat. She was asleep very quickly and it didn't matter that a close comrade was not there to look out for her. She was currently too exhausted to care and she was sure Neji-sama was trustworthy. Neji was Hyuuga and to her there were few comrades who made her feel safer than family.

Neji waited until Hamaki returned before he deigned to rest himself. Tenten assured him she was in perfect condition having used little to no chakra in the last 48 hours, which seemed to have stretched on behind them endlessly. Hamaki showed Neji to the room Hamaki and Lee shared when they stayed here and continued down the hall entering the room where Kiyoshi had disappeared. Neji frowned at how odd it was, but said nothing.

Hamaki looked down at his kunoichi. She was like a daughter to him and as much as he hated to admit it, he was old enough to be her father. He was one of the oldest active shinobi in Konoha, older than the hokage even, both of them. He didn't know what to say to her now, not in the current situation. He was sorry to bring her along with him on this because he now knew why she'd been so on edge. It must physically hurt her to be here at a time like this, but she was his second, his most trusted comrade and he wasn't lying when he said he didn't trust the Hyuuga clan. He'd had shady dealings with them in the past not to mention they'd nearly ruined the renewed contract for a Suna/Konoha alliance very recently. Still, if he'd known what Hiashi had done...

Hamaki was rather tired, but he didn't feel right sleeping. Kiyoshi was right. It was about time he looked out for her for a while. He sat down across the room from her sleeping mat at the table and began drafting a coded message. Gaara would have it sent by their fastest available shinobi as soon as the light broke. For now, it was time for everyone to relax and recover. Who knew when the next big hit would come or from which direction.

Thanks very much


	4. Chapter 4

Allegiance

Written by Aralain

Disclaimer: The world is not mine… just the plot and the original characters

Kiyoshi awoke to Hamaki's humming and let out a small irritated noise before opening her eyes and glaring at him. "Oh, you're awake. We have an appointment," he said.

"With?" she asked.

"The kazekage. Temari woke up by the way," he added.

"How long was I out?" she frowned, sitting up slowly and placing a hand to her groggy head.

"About two days. Lee checked in on you. He came with Nara Shikamaru who is currently working with Kankuro on reforming a more powerful front along the borders," Hamaki said.

"That's my job," she said, quickly rising to her feet.

"Yes well, apparently you and Gai are to be the direct mode of communications between the Kazekage and the Hokage. Your presence will be needed in Suna for a while to come. No border runs for you."

"I'm supposed to be getting married," she mumbled.

"I heard… from Lee of all people, shouting about the virtues of young love," Hamaki snapped.

"I didn't think you'd want to know," Kiyoshi lied with a shrug, looking around the room. She collected a spare shinobi uniform she had in the closet and quickly headed for the bathroom.

"The Kazekage is waiting," Hamaki said.

"Hamaki-taicho I haven't been able to shower in a week. I don't believe the Kazekage will mind my taking a human moment or two," she told him with a scowl.

"You have an hour," he said, walking from the room. She nodded to herself, quickly setting about cleaning herself from all the dirt and grime of the last few days.

Hamaki went back into the main room of the building. "We have two hours," Tenten corrected. He shrugged uncaringly.

Hamaki set about making some breakfast, humming to himself as he went. He was an odd shinobi but anyone who'd been around as long as him was going to have his own bag of crazy that he carried around with him most of the time. Neji and Tenten simply waited patiently for Kiyoshi to shower and dress. The scent of food was bound to bring her soon and it was starting to smell very good. Apparently Hamaki was an accomplished cook as well as a top-notch assassin and team leader. How he was unmarried was the subject of much contemplation on Tenten's part.

Neji sat straighter, glancing at the door moments before a knock was heard. "Enter," Hamaki said, lazily.

"Is Kiyoshi-san ready?" a Suna shinobi asked.

"We were told she was not required until noon," Hamaki said.

"So she is here?" the nervous-looking shinobi asked. Neji activated his sharingan just in time to realize what was happening. He grabbed Tenten around the waist and pulled her away, crashing through the window and out of the building.

Hamaki barely had time to turn, but as he did he shouted "CHAKRA CUSHION!" before the shinobi activated the exploding tags that covered her entire body beneath her shinobi gear. The explosion was so great it rocked the building, blasting it apart.

Ringing filled Neji's ears as he climbed to his hands and knees, trying to shake off the explosion in case there was anything more to accompany it. He looked around blearily, noticing the number of Suna shinobi quickly growing as they swarmed in to help. He glanced down at Tenten who seemed dazed but all right. He quickly moved off of her, pulling her to her feet. Next he sought the other two. He pulled Hamaki from a pile of rubble with a simple yank. He had a few broken bones, but was nonetheless alive, wheezing slightly and holding his ribs. A medic was at his side short order and Neji turned away.

"Kiyoshi!" Neji called, but his voice sounded muffled to his still ringing ears. When he came upon her she was unconscious and unmoving. He could see her heart beating with his byakuugan but it was buried under so much rock that it was hard to distinguish the rate, rhythm, or quality. Her face was visible however and it was covered with blood.

Neji started moving rubble to get to her, but was stopped by the green blur that was his former teammate. Neji was pushed back and told to stay still while Lee swiftly extracted her from underneath the rubble, lifting large pieces of earth without breaking a sweat. She was only in partial uniform. She wore no shirt to cover her pale, bloodied skin though she'd had already wrapped her chest not that that was anywhere near his highest priority. She looked terrible. Her whole body was covered in blood. She'd been hit by large pieces of shrapnel, but none to critical areas. The large amount of blood on her face was from a deep cut on her forehead. Lee went to move her, but a voice shouted for him to stop. It was one of the medical ninja from the village. "Please do not touch her," she said.

Lee nodded, looking down at his unconscious friend as the medic came forward kneeling next to her. "What kind of explosion was it?" the Suna medic asked him.

"I was not close enough to recognize the source, Yoshi-chan," Lee said, looking to Neji.

"She was wearing a suit of exploding tags, the shinobi," he said. "She was in the other room though," Neji said.

"Perfect," the medic muttered sarcastically. She turned to the shinobi gathering behind her. "Someone tell the Kazekage that Ambassador-san is down, I'm not sure the extent of the damage," she said with a frown.

"Tell the Gaara-sama that Kiyoshi-san is down and NOT tell him exactly how bad she is? Do you want him to lose his mind?" a shinobi behind Neji shouted incredulously, but another shinobi had already left to carry the message. "Stop! Stop!" he shouted, chasing after the other shinobi. Another joined him in chasing the messenger down.

Suddenly Kiyoshi started coughing, blood bubbling at her lips, her eyes shooting open. She sat up, gasping for breath. The medic tried to hold her still but the Konoha kunoichi accidentally hit her away a bit to hard, sending her across the rubble quite a ways, nearly injuring her, but one of the Suna Shinobi onlookers caught hold of her, keeping her from being harmed.

"Damn, dammit, damn," Kiyoshi cursed over and over, groaning in pain. She shook her head, clearly dazed still from the blast and the wound to her head. She looked down at her legs, a large piece of wood sticking out of her right shin and what appeared to be a demolished shuriken buried into the flesh of her right thigh. Her right arm was motionless at her side, a deep laceration having cut through her upper-arm. Her ribs were badly bruised already and she had deep scratches across her stomach from being buried it appeared

"Lee-kun," she greeted, opening her arms to him. He quickly dropped down to his knees beside her, embracing her warmly, but carefully as he was well aware of her injuries. Neji was staggered to see it. Lee was definitely overly-comfortable with people, but she hadn't hesitated "S-sorry to see you under such circumstances Lee-kun. Is everyone else unharmed?" she asked, shuddering.

"Hamaki took a good brunt of it, but it would appear the exploding tags were tasked with a target as the blast carried in your direction," Lee told her, cradling the side of her face with his large hand. "You are lucky you are not dead my friend."

"And we know who is well known for directing the flow of their exploding tags for targets," she said, shivering. "All they needed was to ensure I was close," she muttered. "I need you to remove these, Lee-kun and we need to hurry," she told him, nodding to her legs. She took off her Lee's headband without hesitation, grasping a large wooden object nearby and quickly tying his headband high up on her thigh then twisting the metal symbol hard with a hiss of pain until the bleeding ceased.

"You are certain you do not want…" Lee glanced to the medic.

"I don't need to be able to use them Lee, but I need to look whole, as uninjured as possible," she said seriously. "If you do not feel up to the task," she said, goading him expertly. Neji had only ever seen Kakashi do that quite so easily with Gai. Her eyes flickered to the medic who was making her way back to them.

"Of course I will help my most sweet and determined teammate!" he exclaimed, rushing forward and grabbing for the wooden shrapnel pinning her right shin.

"Stop!" the medic shouted, but he was not listening to her.

"One at a time, Lee-kun and you need to hurry. Please hurry," she said seriously. He nodded yanking it out without hesitation or difficulty. She screamed at the horrible pain then quickly moved to heal the wound, bleeding contained by the makeshift tourniquet. The medic joined her. She was shocked at the barbaric way the ambassador was dealing with her wounds. Neji didn't know what they were doing, but he knelt beside her as well, hands lighting green in a moment. He pressed them to a few of her more minor injuries. This was definitely more Suna style though, Neji had to say. Rip them out and heal them up, pretty simple… expedient but certain to scar.

"Ready?" Lee asked as he moved on to the next.

"Roru, come here!" Kiyoshi instructed, catching sight of a familiar face apparently despite her dizziness. He moved forward quickly.

"Can't we return to the hospital?" the first medic asked as Kiyoshi instructed the Roru to clear the blood from her face and heal the wound. Apparently he was a medical shinobi as well. Neji tried to focus on Kiyoshi, who was demanding treatment when only two days before she'd flat out refused even an ounce of chakra from him. He didn't know that had changed, but clearly this was important, putting her back together and quickly too. The urgency in the shinobi around him made that clear.

"I'd rather Gaara-sama didn't see me like this, Hana," she said, giving the first medic a serious look. Hana paled slightly, but nodded. Now Neji saw the root of the urgency. It did not slow him though.

"All of us would rather Gaara never saw you wounded again," Hamaki said from nearby, a dark look in his eyes, glancing at an older Suna shinobi with meaning. He nodded in agreement. Neji wondered what that was about. He looked to Tenten who shrugged. Lee was of course clueless to the comment.

"Hurry up Lee," Kiyoshi said. He winced as he reached into her wound, extracting the small, demolished hunk of metal and dropping it to the side. She bit down on a scream of pain, nearly passing out, but Hamaki walked up to her, grabbing her face and shaking her gently. She focused on the medic's healing technique: watching and analyzing it, to keep her from passing out.

"You will need a transfusion after this, Ambassador-sama" Hana muttered. Kiyoshi glanced up at Neji. Most people in Suna, in the world really, had the wrong blood type for Hyuuga, as the majority of Hyuuga were A+. Neji simply nodded.

The thigh was trickier to repair, but soon it was reduced to a nasty red line that would no doubt scar. "Move me," she ordered, staring seriously at Hamaki. He grabbed hold of her, jerking her up and jumping a good distance away before settling her again. Lee and the medics followed, but Neji stood, confused at the extent of their ruse.

Neji stood up as Gaara landed, the Kazekage's impact making a huge indent in the rubble. "Everyone is alive?" he asked, looking around and taking in the group.

"Hai, Kiyoshi took a few hits though," Hamaki nodded to him with a nonchalant tone. "It's really not her week."

"I'm fine Kazekage-sama," she said, using her most formal way of addressing him and hoping it would force him to maintain his calm.

Gaara did not miss a thing though, his eyes taking her in then flickering to where Neji stood and to the projectiles that had been removed from her. When he looked back at her, he was clearly focused on the blood smeared across her skin and on her hands, taking note of even the smallest marks on her, anger rising in him quickly. His patience with these attacks was done. "Estuko!" he said loudly. Kiyoshi cringed, but nodded for the medics to keep working. An ANBU dropped in front of him. Kiyoshi whispered to Hana to hurry up with her arm, nodding for Roru to aid her. The other small splinters that riddled her body wouldn't keep her down, but she'd like to be able to at least move her arm even if it wasn't much.

Her attention began to waver again, her mind losing grasp of where she was and what was happening. Hamaki grabbed her face again. "Hyuuga Kiyoshi," he said sharply. "You need to stay awake."

"I want to know why a Suna Shinobi would be after Kiyoshi?" Neji asked, standing. His eyes narrowed at Gaara, but the kazekage hardly even noticed his distrust so lost was he in his own fury.

"She has been the front-runner against the rogue bands for nearly a year," Hamaki said simply. "She and Temari down would really hurt the coordination on the defensive front of the village in the event of a full-scale attack. With the added benefit of an angry and unfocused Kazekage, they would be setting up the perfect move against Suna."

"You think the rogues are in alliance with the mist?" Kiyoshi asked palely.

"I think it's time to plan that defense," Hamaki replied. Gaara tensed, looking in the direction of the Mist.

"Remind me to move the village after this," Gaara said, holding out his left hand to Kiyoshi who took it, finding her feet with difficulty. He started walking towards the Kazekage Building. Hamaki pulled Kiyoshi's uninjured arm over his shoulders wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her forward. The two trailed behind the Kazekage steeled for the task at hand and leaving the three Konoha shinobi behind them very confused, but ready for a fight.

"Would Gaara-sama be unfocused because his sister was harmed or Kiyoshi-san?" Tenten asked the question Neji was too proud to speak aloud. The two medics looked at Tenten for a moment but said nothing. They both walked after the ambassador and hokage without a word, a group of Suna shinobi coming to take over the site leaving the Konoha shinobi to ponder over that one.

"We shouldn't be here," Kiyoshi whispered.

"That's the fourth time you've said that Kiyoshi," Hamaki said with a long-suffering look as he laid out a sleeping mat for her, laying out his own right beside hers.

"How am I supposed to protect him if he keeps doing reckless things like bringing foreign shinobi into his family home," she hissed after carefully looking around to ensure none of their teammates were near enough to hear. Her face was badly bruised and cuts lined her cheek from the gash above down the entire side of her neck. Her arm was wrapped up and cradled in a sling. Her leg on the same side was wrapped both at the thigh and the knee in crisp white bandages. Her lower leg was also splinted as she'd flat-out refused a cast. Her borrowed Suna garb covered the rest of her injuries.

"If you don't spread it around that this is his family home and they won't know where he lives. I thought Neji-sama's safety was your top priority anyhow," Hamaki muttered.

"Well they're a danger to each other!" she exclaimed, wincing as her head gave a sharp pang of protest both to the effort of the exclamation and to the sound.

"Gaara-sama doesn't know yet and what about Neji?"

"Neji-sama could not care less… but he does not know," Kiyoshi sighed, leaning against the wall with a wince. Hamaki glanced at her with a frown for a moment.

"So will you relax? You're raising my blood pressure," he told her. Kiyoshi looked around the room exhausted and in pain. She had respectfully declined the majority of the pain medications, accepting only a mild herbal tea designed by the late Chiyo-sama to numb the pain of minor injuries.

"Hamaki-senpai, what is going on? Why the hell would mist want to attack Suna? The Mizukage has all but eradicated the hatred from the last regime and Mist and Sand fought together as brothers in the Great War," Kiyoshi whispered. Hamaki shrugged.

"Sometimes, things just happen. Some villages don't think they're doing their job unless there is conflict," Hamaki told her.

"Well, maybe next time someone could direct the rogues on our borders towards the Mist," she spat angrily. There was a long silence from her captain and Kiyoshi slowly began to realize her mistake, paling. She waited for his rebuke, which was sure to come.

"Not our borders Kiyoshi…" Hamaki reminded her softly. Kiyoshi turned away quickly, limping slowly towards the window and looking out over the village. She placed a hand to her stomach, blinking back the tears that were fighting to make their way to the surface. "They are the borders of the Wind Country."

"Hai," she said. Her voice was faint, so faint that she didn't even trust herself to offer a small apology. She bit her lip, swallowing hard and trying to control her emotions.

"Kiyoshi, you know you can talk to me about this, about anything," Hamaki said. "Still, I need you to keep your head about you."

"I'm fine taicho," she said, placing her unslung hand on the window frame and looking at the wood with concentration. She ran her finger down it and inspecting each minuscule crack closely, cracks almost invisible to the untrained eye. She felt like that sometimes… like she was broken, but no one could see it… unless they knew her well enough to look. Hamaki was one of two men who could do that to her. She turned sharply.

"I'll go collect some more essentials," she said. Hamaki watched her go limping in pain, bruised to hell, but hardly slowing down. Dressed in traditional Suna kunoichi clothes, she looked so painfully alike to a Suna shinobi. The only exception was the blue headband across her forehead, the headband with a Konoha Symbol engraved in its plate.

He knew his kunoichi was hurting and he wished he could help her, but she had to pay attention, had to focus on the mission at hand. He brought her because he was her right hand and he needed her to be that right now. He needed her to be strong even if it hurt, even if it tore her to pieces inside.

He would try to put her back together the best he could when the got back to Konoha. He would do his best to protect her, even through her marriage to the Hyuuga. He didn't like the man, but he knew he didn't know him well enough to judge him. He did know that Kiyoshi loved someone else and that was a disadvantage to Neji from the start.

A part of him almost felt bad for the young man and then he realized what he was thinking. He realized that Neji was going to marry Hyuuga Kiyoshi and simply because of that he was one of the luckiest men alive. Kami help that man if he ever hurt her. Hamaki would kill him in cold blood, to hell with the consequences. Neji may be some sort of prodigy, but Hamaki had been a prodigy in his day and he knew every assassination technique in the book.

Thank you for reading. Sorry to anyone who here earlier and saw my ridiculous notes. Wine+me+alreadywrittenstories=poor life choices ;-)


	5. Chapter 5

Torn Allegiance

By Aralain

Chapter 5

Kiyoshi finished her last healing session at the hospital, stopping to check on Temari who had finally awoken from her injuries. They discussed plans and backup plans, Temari propped up with a ridiculous number of pillows. She was very displeased about being stuck here, but when Gaara learned about her trying to disobey the doctor's orders and leave early, he threatened to restrain her to the bed himself with sand. She stopped being aggravating and sat there, waiting to be released. No one could say she was patient about it, but she did as she was told for once.

Their two villages had one tactical advantage the enemy clearly knew nothing about, an instantaneous mode of communication that could be broken by no one. Gai was at Kakashi-sama's side in Konoha and Kiyoshi remained in Suna with Gaara-sama. It did not often happen that two summoners of the same discipline were active at the same time, but it took a summoner to train a summoner which led to Kiyoshi and Gai's perfect communication lines and nearly instantaneous coordination between Suna and Konoha command teams.

Hamaki appeared to collect Kiyoshi for a meeting. Tensions were still high and the village was on the alert, but they still had a mission they came here for. It was time to be briefed on that. As soon as the borders were deemed safe and the village walls manned by the best guards Suna had to offer, the Konoha shinobi had to learn what they were requested for in the first place. Kiyoshi returned to the Kazekage's office with Hamaki assuring Temari she'd return soon. Temari had a knowing look in her eyes though, telling them that it wasn't necessary that they would need time to deal with their mission. The fan-wielding sand shinobi could not stay out of the loop for long, retired or not. Her brother had clearly already briefed her.

Kiyoshi did not regret leaving Temari's hospital room. She couldn't take too much more strategizing today. Her head was throbbing and she felt nauseous. She needed to rest and Kiyoshi was not the sort of shinobi with a disillusioned belief that she was invincible. She was in very poor condition. She would try to hide it as best she could for now, but if she didn't get sleep soon, she'd be of no use to anyone.

"Where is Lee?" she asked Hamaki, glancing over at him. She was concerned that she hadn't heard from or seen him since the day she was injured. It wasn't like Lee to leave one of his injured teammates though that was an ironic thing to think because it wasn't her style either but she and Hamaki had left Lee in Konoha first.

"They put him in charge of the Konoha forces along the line. Gaara told him it was his sacred duty as the teammate to the Ambassador of Sunagakure to ensure that the country was safe from the vicious enemies who would see our great villages fall… or some nonsense like that," Hamaki said. Kiyoshi smiled, that sounding fairly manipulative coming from the Kazekage. He was very good a manipulating Lee. It was definitely something she would say if she wanted Lee on the line. It was the best place for him. He would ensure the safety of the terrified chuunin replacements there. Gaara had not placed any more genin, but he could not use a Suna Jounin at every single outpost on the line. He might be able to spare three leaving one without. Lee was a jounin though and one who was loyal to Gaara as well as to Konoha. He would take care of those chuunin.

"It is the best place for him. He never had patience for these types of missions," she said, agreeing that the move was sound.

"You might be surprised," a voice said from behind them. Kiyoshi turned sharply, bowing to the Kazekage. She swayed slightly but kept her feet under her, fighting back the nausea valiantly.

"Forgive us for not noticing your proximity Kazekage-sama," she said, eyes on his feet. Hamaki bowed when Gaara glanced his way, but he had turned at a much more leisurely speed.

"Ohayo Ambassador-sama," Mako said from behind the Kazekage. He was the Kazekage's aide, only called an aid because Gaara refused to have guards.

"Mako-san," she nodded.

"It would have been impossible to notice Gaara-sama anyhow. He was masking his chakra and traveling a ways behind you until just a moment ago," he informed her. Gaara's eyes didn't leave the ambassador, not minding his secret being told.

"So you have returned to full health Kazekage-sama?" she asked.

"Nearly," he replied. "Where is the rest of your team?"

"They are waiting for us at your office," Kiyoshi said.

"Good," he nodded, starting forward. Kiyoshi fell in on his left Hamaki and Mako walking behind them. "You have recovered from your injuries?" Gaara's voice was quiet and low.

"Nearly," she responded as he had. She thought she detected a small quirk to the corner of his lips, but it was quickly gone.

"Your chakra is recovered however?" he asked.

"It is, Kazekage-sama," she inclined her head.

"Then I will request your presence with my Guard for the remainder of this conflict however long that might be," he said. She stiffened, a sharp pain gripping her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She crossed her arms with a frown, glancing up at the office where she knew Neji to be.

"I also have a duty to protect Hyuuga Neji, my lord," she said. He glanced at her.

"Hamaki can handle it, can he not?" Gaara asked, watching her reaction closely. She swallowed hard.

"Gaara-sama, I am unsure how wise- I can't-" she trailed off, glancing back at Hamaki who stared at her coolly. She shook her head clear quickly. "I am of course at the disposal of my team leader and yourself Kazekage-sama," she said, swallowing hard. He glanced back to Hamaki, looking at her again a troubled look in his stormy eyes, but he nodded and they spoke no more.

Neji and Tenten both stood when the Kazekage entered followed closely by their comrades. "You are the Hyuuga representative chosen by your hokage?" Gaara asked, glancing at Neji who nodded. The kazekage removed his long kage robe, placing the hat upon the desk beside it.

"There is nothing I could say to prepare either of you for what we have found so I believe showing you to them would be the quickest and simplest way of handling the situation," he said. Kiyoshi frowned, glancing at Neji who looked just as confused. Gaara crossed the office, opening the door adjacent. "Kankuro, it is time," Gaara said. A few moments later Kankuro appeared in the doorway. He looked around at the Konoha shinobi, nodding to Kiyoshi.

"It is good to see you Kiyoshi-san," he said. His tone was cold and slightly clipped.

"You as well, Kankuro," she replied but with much more sincerity.

"Follow me," Kankuro said, looking at the others. Gaara fell to the back of the group while they left the office. Kankuro and Hamaki walked at the lead, followed by the two Hyuuga, then Gaara, and finally Tenten. Neji discreetly activated his Byakuugan, taking in the Kazekage, who was staring openly at the back of Kiyoshi's head a strange look on his face. He blinked his special ability away when a hand grabbed hold of his arm hard. He didn't look, knowing it was his cousin who had caught him.

"Neji-sama, I may have a responsibility to you, but in Suna my responsibility is equally to the Kazekage. If I catch you using your abilities again with the target of interest being the Kazekage, I will be forced to move against you," she whispered. He said nothing and she released his arm.

They continued to be surprised as they walked through the village. Shinobi would all stop and bow from Kiyoshi until Gaara until they continued on their way and villagers would scurry out of their way, staring at him in shock and wonder. Apparently he was not seen often among the civilians of the village. It made Tenten giggle to think what it would be like in Konoha if the people started acting this way towards Naruto. Neji glanced back at her and she smiled brightly, glancing around at the Suna people.

Kiyoshi's glance was a bit less stoic. She nodded her head to Tenten as if to signal that she too shared in the joke. As they approached a large building however, Kiyoshi's brow furrowed and she looked back at Gaara in confusion. He merely nodded to her and she kept walking, glancing to Neji who seemed untroubled, but he didn't know what this place was.

It was nondescript and tan, looking much like any of the other buildings, but it was bigger than all those surrounding it. They walked through the first outdoor hallway and were faced with the courtyard in front of it. A group of children was out in the courtyard, running around it. The group had to stop as they ran past of course the shinobi-in-training not noticing their Kazekage in the back of the group. They stepped out onto the grass; the sound of the young chuunin shouting encouragement to the shinobi-to-be was very reminiscent of Konoha in a way. It made sense… as Iruka and Matsuri's plan to improve and integrate the training programs in both villages brought changes to the Academies on both ends.

Tenten could almost hear Iruka's voice snapping at Sakura and Ino to stop chatting when the female chuunin hollered over at two kids talking conspiratorially to each other while falling behind the larger group slowly, the pack leader lapping them easily. Kiyoshi stepped aside next to Kankuro as he moved out of the way. Tenten jumped out of the way as Gaara and his guard moved forward. Neji and Hamaki were quick to take their cue as well, stepping aside in time for the red-haired kage to advance.

"Kazekage-sama," the girl said, as they approached her. She blew her whistle and the children came to quickly line up behind her. Her eyes lingered on the kazekage in wonder. She had seen the kazekage of course from a distance, but never this close. She was a rather low-ranking chuunin. Those moved to the village academy weren't usually much to wonder over and any missions they did undertake were not high-level enough to require Gaara's particular attention.

"Where are the three?" Kankuro asked from beside his brother. She blinked a few times, glancing from Kankuro back to the Kazekage then looking over her shoulder as if she was unsure, but turning back with a set expression.

"They are with Matsudairi-senpai in the back field," she told him with certainty.

Gaara nodded, slightly. "This way," he said, waving his hand slightly.

Kiyoshi paused, a strange feeling creeping over her. She didn't move for a long moment, seemingly in a daze until Kankuro placed a hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but started walking forward. She nodded to the chuunin whose eyes followed her and the others. The type of chakra she felt coming from that area… it was impossible.

As they came upon the backfield as she'd directed, they were granted a very strange sight indeed. There were three children, barely five years old all charging at a young woman with short, messy hair. They each held a stick while she was weaponless. On her arms and face were a few nasty scars showing the battles she had fought in the past and on her left arm the tattoo of a Suna ANBU. They looked on the scars with respect all four identifying many of them as scars resulting from extensive torture. She moved with ease, avoiding them almost playfully. Her eyes turned slowly in their direction, continued past and then snapped back to their group again. "Stop!" she ordered sharply.

"Hai," the three said, slamming their wooden weapons to the ground, holding the long sticks in front of them, and straightening quickly. Neji and Kiyoshi stared openly at the three shinobi-in-training, Kiyoshi not even breathing. It couldn't be! They had pale skin, and were apparently tall for their age. The boy and one of the girls had brown hair, the exact color of Neji's while the other girl had black hair with a slightly bluish tint to it more alike to Kiyoshi's braided strands. The boy's was cut short, but the girls' hair fell to their lower backs. Their eyes were all similar shades of pale lavender.

"Yuki, work on your targeting. Yuma, Yashi, spar and no shuriken this time," the young woman told them, eyes on one of the females in particular.

"Hai," they chimed together again, before one ran off from the cover of the outdoor dojo towards the targets, one giggling as if they had been given a treat. The girl with long black hair hurried to an open space followed by her brother, Yashi. Yuki who was to 'work on her targeting' ran the other way, stumbling a bit clumsily and falling face first to the ground, but it didn't stop her. She jumped up making it the rest of the way to the target area unscathed.

"Matsudairi Kosuke, these are the shinobi from Konoha," Gaara said, watching her carefully.

"Kiyoshi-san, very good to see you again so soon," Kosuke said, smiling warmly. She strode forward, wrapping the Hyuuga woman in a long embrace, which surprised Tenten and Neji, but Kiyoshi was too distracted to offer explanation of their connection as she continued to stare at the children.

"Kiyoshi-san and I fought together in Hatake-san's company during the great war," Kosuke said, her voice soft and warm. "Best medic in our regiment," she said, pulling back to look at Kiyoshi, holding her by the shoulders. Tenten nodded to her in acknowledgement before looking back to the young… Hyuuga sparring barely twenty meters away.

"Obviously an exaggeration by far," Kiyoshi replied. "I'm so poor at medical ninjutsu that I was removed from the medical forces soon after the war."

"You must be Hyuuga Neji. I have heard stories of you from Lee-san," she said, meeting his gaze evenly before glancing at Kiyoshi with a small smile. Neji cringed to think what stories his irritating former-teammate had told this Suna Kunoichi, his eyes still locked however on the three children behind her.

Kiyoshi finally seemed to find herself as she blinked forcing her eyes away from the three kids. "Kosuke-san, forgive my manners. Please allow me to introduce Hyuuga Neji, the strongest Hyuuga in my clan. This is Tenten a top-rate kunoichi from Konoha. You of course know Hamaki well enough," she said.

"I wish I could forget him," Kankuro muttered receiving a chiding look from the Suna Kunoichi, which surprisingly shut him up.

The sight beyond her Suna jounin comrade distracted Kiyoshi once more. One of the girls had veins running along the sides of her face from her now-white eyes.

"Hyuuga-san, it is an honor to have you in our village. For Konoha to send such an important clan leader into a foreign village is very trusting even if it was you that we directly requested." She noticed that their attention shifted the children and turned to look back at them. "I had suggested Gaara-sama not be so set in his requests. I understand it is a lot to ask for the assistance we have received from your honorable village. Yet I cannot express my gratitude that you arrived when you did," Kosuke added, placing her hand on Kiyoshi's forearm. Kiyoshi looked to her, offering a small smile and covering the hand with her own. Kosuke was distracted however a moment later.

"Yuma, no sharp objects!" Kosuke exclaimed taking a step towards the girl threateningly. The girl with the veins along her face and blackish-blue hair looked over and straightened, her whole face flaming bright red, but then her sister let out a sound much like a scoff from across the way. Yuki grabbed the end of her kunai, spinning hard and letting it go. There were a few clinks and the kunai were lodged right beside her sister's shuriken in the target.

"YUKI!" Kosuke snapped, walking forward. She glanced to the girl with the Byakuugan. "Yuma! You know better than that!" Kosuke said harshly.

"Kosuke-sensei, you heard-"

"I will accept no excuses," Kosuke growled. The girl reddened with frustration, but nodded a moment later. She sighed kneeling then placing her hands on the ground. She lifted her body up to be directly above them and began to perform push-ups from that position. Her brother glared at her for a moment before joining her.

"How…" Neji muttered, staring at the target. She definitely had full byakuugan.

"We were hoping you could tell us," Kosuke answered scratching the back of her head and glancing from them back at the tall shinobi.

"I will leave you to explain what you can Kosuke-san. Kankuro is at your disposal," Gaara said.

"Arigato, Gaara-sama," Kosuke said, smiling warmly at him. Gaara walked off. Kiyoshi watched his red hair until he turned the corner out of their line of sight. She then turned her eyes to Kosuke who was looking at her with a small, teasing smile. Kiyoshi shook her head. She needed to have a conversation with Kosuke was soon as possible. Kiyoshi could not have her doing that especially with Neji-sama around.

"Well Hyuuga-san, you are the most influenced by this discovery, I'd wager," Kosuke said, her eyes upon the tall Hyuuga who nodded. "And you must be no less surprised Kiyoshi-san." Kiyoshi nodded slightly, still watching the shinobi train. They had been using the style of the clan during their spar, but… Lord Hiashi would have to be alerted immediately. Neji frowned, wondering whether the Suna shinobi had attempted to analyze the children, to figure out what was really behind those eyes. Clearly they were not sealed…

"Gaara-sama hasn't allowed any medical shinobi anywhere near them I assure you and I have absolutely NO medical training. You could ask Kiyoshi-san if you need confirmation there," she said, glancing at her comrade, who simply stared back at her. "If you wish Hyuuga-sama, I shall give you my blood oath that I will never share the information I have with anyone." Neji glanced at her, wondering in passing how she had known that would be their concern. The offer of a blood oath, her connections with Kiyoshi… This was one strange girl, one that he could not find any reason to doubt.

"Kosuke-san is one of our most trustworthy shinobi. She was specially chosen because of her connections to the Ambassador. She would never deal in Konoha secrets," Kankuro said. "Though recent dealings with this particular clan would have a lesser-kage taking an entirely different stance on this." Neji scowled, his fist clenching at his side. Was that a threat? It sounded much like one if he was any judge.

"Kankuro!" Kosuke exclaimed, giving him a look of confusion. Kiyoshi bowed her head, turning to face the three shinobi again.

"We are very grateful that Kazekage-sama is such a steadfast friend to our village, Kankuro-san," Kiyoshi whispered. Kankuro's temper could be a volatile thing. Tenten looked between Kankuro and Neji, instantly on edge. She prayed they would not come to blows. Neji could have a short fuse at times and this was not the kind of place she wanted to have to defend him especially considering the repercussions of him losing his temper.

Hamaki sighed, intervening. "Can we stay on track and maybe once this is over, you can return to the village with us take it up with Hiashi-sama rather than his nephew?"

"I will like to take it up with the Hokage himself!" Kankuro growled. "To hell with those Hyuuga bastar-"

"Kankuro, that is enough!" Kiyoshi shouted, turning to face him sharply. The kids all stopped what they were doing looking over at the group. She looked at him with anger brewing in her lavender eyes. "Perhaps we can save this for a time when we do not have an impending war?" she suggested. The tenseness didn't leave, but Kankuro turned away with a sniff, crossing his arms and glaring at a spot on the building wall.

Kosuke looked at Kiyoshi as she continued, "Gaara-sama knows that the Hyuuga clan is the most powerful and influential in your village so he has been fighting with the council to be certain they were left unstudied. That is why he assigned a special jounin to them, one whose allegiances are with completely to the kazekage… to be certain that the council's shinobi didn't get too close to them," Kosuke said seriously, glancing around with a frown.

"One on the roof, two in the school windows, and a fourth waiting outside the dojo," Kiyoshi said, simply. Neji activated his Byakuugan swiftly to find each of the well-concealed shinobi exactly where his cousin had said. She was truly surprising. She hadn't even activated her eyes.

Neji sighed gratefully. Clearly Kiyoshi's connections in this village had something to do with the protection and special attention of these children. He was looking at the shinobi above, when he felt a tug on his shirt.

"Shinobi-san, are you my daddy?" one of the little girls asked, the one with brown hair who had not tapped fully into her kekkei genkai. She was looking up at him with big hopeful lavender eyes.

Neji stared down at the child, stunned and unable to respond as he deactivated his kekkei genkai. He reddened at the sound of Tenten giggle. She chuckled and rolled her eyes at the stoic Hyuuga, walking to them and kneeling down. "He is not the daddy type. How about I help you with your target practice?" she asked, taking the girl's hands.

"Can I use YOUR kunai?" the girl asked, excitedly. Tenten glanced up at Kosuke who smiled and nodded. The weapons-mistress led the girl off by the hand.

"Neji-sama, are you all right?" Kiyoshi asked, watching him with concern. When he didn't respond, she lifted her hand and placed it on his shoulder. Hamaki smirked as Neji stared at the place where the child was with a dumb expression on his face. Neji looked up sharply, scowling a bit and stepping out of her reach. She didn't seem bothered by the movement. She turned to look at Kosuke with a shrug.

"Yuma has already learned to activate her kekkei genkai, which is amazing…" Kosuke stopped. "It is, right?" she asked Kiyoshi, who inclined her head with an intrigued expression.

"Neji-sama didn't get his until he was seven and he is the strongest Hyuuga to come around in generations," she said. Neji glanced at the kunoichi. Though his face remained emotionless, he was surprised at her words. This was the woman who he'd spent so many years thinking a weak excuse for a shinobi, a robot as he and Hanabi had agreed. He was surprised that she had even known when he had tapped into his kekkei-genkai. It was not common knowledge. She had to have been paying close attention and back then she was very young. Someone must have told her. She was five years his junior after all. Maybe the lower branches had followed him more closely than he'd thought and from so young an age.

"The girl… Yuma is the strongest then?" Neji muttered, watching them.

"Actually, she and Yashi are about the same. It's Yuki that you will have to keep an eye on," she nodded to the brown haired girl with Tenten who had a big smile on her face. "She has more skill than I've ever seen in someone so young with the obvious exception of Gaara-sama of course, though she's already tapped into that clumsy stage most kids usually hit around ten or eleven. She's a little devil, though she may hide it well now. I don't know who was teaching them, but it's astounding how much they have learned already. She will take advice or input from practically anyone though so you have to be careful with that. You won't want anyone telling her something incorrect because it's a terror to break a habit."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did Gaara keep the council out of this?" Hamaki asked.

"Not even I know that," she replied, glancing at Kankuro, who didn't say a word despite being head of the council. There was a long silence.

"Where did you find them Kosuke-san?" Kiyoshi asked, crouching as she observed the movements of the two sparring again. Some of their movements were a nearly-Iwa style, but it was as if they had picked up some instinctual Hyuuga style movements, flowing like water from move to move.

"That's a story best told behind closed doors," Kosuke said, looking up at the shinobi around them.

"I am just wondering… why you?" Hamaki asked with a frown.

"Do you think Gaara-sama would trust them to anyone less than jounin? The same blood that flows through Kiyoshi-san flows through their veins!" she exclaimed. "Besides, this is not our secret to keep. It is yours, Hyuuga-san," she said, looking at Neji seriously.

"I offer you and your Kazekage the sincerest gratitude from my clan," Neji said. "You seem to have taught them very well already."

"Kosuke-san! Kankuro!" a voice called. They all turned when Kosuke looked past them. A messenger ninja was walking quickly towards them, one Kiyoshi did not recognize. She instinctively took a step in front of Neji, watching him closely. They had very recently been on the receiving end of a suicide-explosion and he'd been attacked by an ANBU early on as well. Clearly the Konoha shinobi were not welcome and anyone could be his or her enemy.

"Pardon me Kiyoshi-san," Kosuke said, bowing slightly to her walking to meet the shinobi.

"Kankuro, I need you to look after them!" Kosuke called back.

"What do I look like to you, Kosuke?" Kankuro snapped.

"Like a shinobi capable of handling a high-priority guard mission. If I'm mistaken in thinking you can handle it please let me know," she replied, with a wink.

Kankuro grumbled, shaking his head and looking over at the three kids then at Hamaki. And so they watched them, Kiyoshi and Hamaki discussing their styles as if trying to determine their origins, but their styles were indicative of a large number of different backgrounds. It would be impossible to pinpoint where they were trained. Surely they'd be given the opportunity to observe the site where the children were found which Kankuro confirmed upon asking. There were still so many unanswered questions, so many implications.

Kiyoshi rubbed her head when she thought Hamaki wasn't looking, the pounding in her head steadily continuing to grow worse. She was pretty sure that she needed to go back to the hospital. This was the most astounding and honestly worrisome thing to happen to her clan in a long while and it was all she could do to focus on her one conversation with Hamaki as anything else was beyond her with the constant throbbing in her head, that and keep herself from vomiting which would be highly embarrassing. Kiyoshi drew a few deep breaths, focusing on the children. She needed to keep it together. She needed to keep going.

Please read on.


	6. Chapter 6

Torn Allegiance

by Aralain

Chapter 6

"Let's head back to the safe house," Kankuro decided after a while, praying Kosuke was back and he could pawn this back on her. Hamaki nodded watching the three quickly respond to Kankuro's call, lining up before him and following him from the yard.

Tenten watched with surprise as one of the girls, Yuki grabbed the stoic Hyuuga Kiyoshi's hand, pulling her along ahead of the others. "Are you my mother, shinobi-san?" she asked, looking up at Kiyoshi with large lavender eyes.

"Yuki," Yashi hissed to his sister. Yuki glanced back at the others with a pout.

"No Yuki-chan I am not, but I would like to find out who your mother is," she said, her own weatherworn hand closing around the little girl's.

"What if you can't find her?" Yuki pouted.

"Well then you will be raised by people who love and care about you just the same in Konoha where I come from," she said.

"Ko-no-ha," the girl repeated. "I like it here though."

"Yes well you will be much safer where I am from and people made just like you…" Kiyoshi stopped walking, kneeling beside her and activating her Byakuugan, "…and me will be able to train you to your highest potential," she said. The girl giggled, touching her face in awe. Kiyoshi didn't smile back but there was a small smile in her eyes.

"Who knew you'd be good with kids," Hamaki mocked, bumping into his teammate as he passed. She glanced up at him, standing without a word and taking hold of Yuki's hand once more, following the others.

Kankuro frowned, the currently more behaved Yuma walking beside him. Yuma may be a little deviant behind the scenes but she was a bit less eccentric than her brown-haired sister. Yashi walked beside Neji staring up at him, which Neji seemed to ignore, though the other jounin could tell he was acutely uncomfortable by the boy's gawking. The boy looked quite a bit like him, as did the others… Tenten was walking a bit behind them, seemingly lost in thought.

As they walked through the streets, people moved out of the way, most staring at Kiyoshi or Kankuro, but a few eyes settling on one of the three strange-looking children who they'd no doubt glimpsed before on this path.

"Here we are," Kankuro said, glancing over his shoulder.

"Kazekage-sama has had them kept them here?" Kiyoshi whispered in an awed tone, looking at the unassuming building. Neji glanced to his cousin then looked at the building, wondering what was special about the place.

"Kosuke wouldn't listen to reason, kept going on and on about how she wanted them close to her," Kankuro muttered with a scowl.

"It's dangerous!" Kiyoshi snapped. "She's not at her best."

"Try telling her that," Kankuro grumbled.

"Kosuke-san lives here?" Tenten inferred from the earlier comments. Kankuro nodded, looking around slowly.

"Come in!" a voice called from inside. Kankuro visibly relaxed at the sound of Kosuke's voice. He led them inside and down the hall to a large room. It was an informal room with couches everywhere and books stacked on large shelves. There were hundreds lining the walls.

"Yuma-chan, take Yuki and Yashi and help Kosuke in the kitchen. You know what happens when she goes in there," Kankuro instructed.

"Hai, Kankuro-san," the girl said, walking forward and pulling her sister into the large house by the elbow, while Yashi followed closely, Yuki complaining. They slipped out of their shoes quickly and disappeared even further inside.

"Sit if you want… I guess," Kankuro muttered, clearly uncomfortable with the group of shinobi. He waited until everyone had come fully into the room before sticking his head out into the hall and calling, "Kosuke, are you all right?" There were distinct giggles from down the hall.

"NO! No knives! I will make you run until I get tired! Yuki! Put it...! NO! Put it down!" Kosuke cried. Kiyoshi swallowed a smirk and Tenten smiled broadly.

Neji tilted his head up. "Something's burning," he said softly.

"Of course something is burning," Kankuro muttered, striding from the room and down the hall.

"Send them to me, will you?" the voice of the grumbling Kosuke floated from the open door. There were some footsteps and the more disruptive girl: Yuki was shoved lightly into the room and the door closed behind her. She walked forward with her hands behind her back as she smiled innocently.

None of the shinobi knew how to greet her so they just watched apprehensively as her lavender eyes passed over their faces lazily. Her eyes alighted on the stiff-looking Hyuuga male who sat on one of the couches. She walked up to him and sat beside him, legs pulled up in front of her, knees to her chest. She wrapped her arms around them to steady herself, rested her chin on her knees, and then she stared at him.

Tenten coughed loudly in an attempt to cover her laughter as Neji shifted uncomfortably under the girl's scrutiny. Her coughing turned to giggles that were silenced by a sharp irritated look from the Hyuuga, but a few moments later, her chuckles returned full force and Hamaki smirked at the Hyuuga's plight. Kiyoshi sat just as untroubled and serious as usual not even a smile on her steely face. She was clearly lost in thought not that anyone would notice.

"You look like Yashi, so... you're like us too, and the kunoichi over there too?" the girl said.

Neji stared at her for a few moments, before activating his kekkei genkai. She gasped with delight, reaching a little hand up to touch the veins on his face. He stared down at her with a blank expression. "I don't have it yet," she muttered, dejectedly, before glancing at the door with irritation as she pulled her hand away. "Yuma does and she thinks that makes her real special, always bossing me around," Yuki whispered to him only in a conspiratorial fashion. "I can still beat her up, though," she assured him quickly.

"Yashi's real quiet, but he tells ME stuff," she added proudly. "You're really quiet," she informed him. "Do you tell her stuff?" she asked, pointing in Kiyoshi's direction without looking away. Neji didn't respond. She suddenly reached up again with one of her hands, the other grabbing her own hair and pulling his bangs closer as she placed hers over it. His was a bit darker. She stared for a moment before letting her hair and his drop back into place with a small sigh, touching his cheek once more with a single finger.

There was a knock down the hall, then the soft padding of feet that only shinobi ears could have picked up. The voices were too low for the words to have been understood, though the group could recognize the tone of both. "Gaara-sama!" Yuki squealed, running from the room down the hall. That caused some confusion. Tenten, Hamaki, and Neji all looked to Kiyoshi for explanation of any child being excited to see the former jinchuuriki, but she didn't react at all, still sitting as silent and unmoving as before.

"Don't be nice to her, Gaara-sama," a voice chided as they walked up the hall. Gaara greeted them with a nod as he entered with Yuki literally hanging onto his arm, a rather humorous sight in itself, made more amusing by Kosuke pulling her away from him by the back of the shirt. Yuki tried to punch Kosuke in the stomach, but Gaara intercepted, grabbing her by the arm and turning her around firmly. He knelt in front of her.

"You will not do that again," he said, his voice brooking no argument. She stared at him wide-eyed before nodding, looking a bit shaken. Gaara released her arm, which Kosuke took, leading her out. The exchange was surprising but the strange silence passed as Gaara stepped fully into the room.

They all rose as Gaara entered. Hamaki and he clasped hands briefly. "We need to discuss the transfer of the children to your own village Hyuuga-san. I'm afraid I cannot offer you Kosuke as an escort for at least six months and I am sure you want them to go back to your village as soon as possible."

"No, of course she needs to be here," Kiyoshi replied softly glancing towards the door. Gaara glanced to her, his eyes taking her in for a few moments before they returned to Neji.

"Matsuri however, is as you know one of my most trustworthy aids and I would like at least someone familiar to the siblings to travel with them. I will need about three weeks to get everything in order for the transfer perhaps a bit more with the current situation. I assume that you, Hyuuga-san, will wish to investigate just how three of the Hyuuga bloodline have been found so far from home with such already advanced abilities."

"How does this aid know the siblings?" Neji asked.

"She and Kosuke both live here as do the siblings currently. We could not simply limit their exposure to one person hard as we tried. Those three are a handful," Kankuro said from the door where he now stood, arms crossed. A smirk formed on his face as he continued. "Kosuke can barely take care of herself, let alone..."

"I heard that!" Kosuke's voice rang from down the hall. Kankuro winced, glancing over his shoulder.

"Heard what?" he snapped back, crossing his arms stubbornly. She appeared, punching him on the arm and smiling over at Kiyoshi.

"Come on Kiyoshi-san. Help me save what's left of dinner," Kosuke said, placing her arm over Kankuro's shoulders even as he rubbed his arm from the blow. "Gaara-sama will be able to enjoy what's been burnt. It's what he deserves for giving Matsuri the evening shift at the tower when there were likely to be guests at this house. He knows I can perform S-rank missions with more ease than I can prepare a meal. You'd think he was trying to get rid of me in a fire or some kind of explosion," she said. Kiyoshi crossed the room silently and followed Kosuke into the hall, the Kazekage and Kankuro turning to allow them to pass.

Kiyoshi followed her friend down the hallway and into the kitchen. She frowned at the food. "Please tell me you have more," she murmured, looking around the kitchen.

"Come on it's not that bad!" Kosuke cried.

"Yes, well… my obaasan would never speak to me again if she ever found out I placed something like that on the table especially before Neji-sama or the Kazekage," she said palely, imagining the horrified look on her poor dear grandmother's face at the very sight of this.

Kosuke sighed, moving to sit on the counter as her friend restarted from scratch. Kiyoshi moved quickly tried to put as something together as quickly as possible. She'd been cooking with Grandmother Hitomi for her brothers and cousins since she was very young and her grandmother would be disappointed if she couldn't pull this off. She concentrated as much on her work as possible, avoiding Kosuke's gaze as much as she could.

"What's wrong Kiyoshi?" Kosuke asked as she took in her friend's strange demeanor. Kiyoshi thoroughly enjoyed cooking and was usually much more light-hearted and teasing about Kosuke's complete inability to cook. Kosuke hopped off the counter, but Kiyoshi didn't respond, brushing past her as she added the noodles to water, quickly dumping Kosuke's attempt at a meal. After a few minutes of this, Kosuke stepped firmly in front of the younger kunoichi.

"What's happened? Is it about the assassination attempt?" she demanded, grabbing her shoulder. Kiyoshi stopped but did not look up at Kosuke, holding a small bowl in her hand a bit too tightly. It cracked under her grasp. Kosuke looked down at it sharply. She bent down to grab the pieces before they crashed to the ground, which would have certainly drawn attention from the other room.

"I cannot talk to you about this right now," Kiyoshi said.

"Well I-" Kosuke quieted when she heard a step in the hallway. She turned to the door, frowning at Gaara.

"Kazekage-sama, might Kiyoshi-san and I have some privacy?" Kosuke asked.

When Gaara responded it was in a bare whisper of a voice, one that both kunoichi had to strain to hear. "I would like to afford you that, but I don't suppose what Kiyoshi-san has to say is something she would wish our entire party to hear," Gaara said glancing from Kosuke to Kiyoshi. His eyes settled upon her, taking her in very carefully. "Hyuuga Neji seems to have particular interest in the conversation." Kiyoshi quickly brushed past Kosuke, picking up a new bowl and setting it down upon the counter.

"Thank you Gaara-sama. Kosuke-san and I shall endeavor to restrict our private conversations to a more solitary place at a more appropriate time," she said, placing both her hands on the counter and bending slightly over it, drawing a deep breath. Kosuke glanced to her friend before looking back at Gaara who was watching her closely.

"If you would please excuse us Gaara-sama, I will have a suitable meal prepared in short order," she spoke again. Her voice was weak, as Kosuke had never heard it. Gaara opened his mouth to speak, but Kosuke held up her hand by instinct. Gaara stood for a long moment before nodding to Kosuke and disappearing.

Kosuke turned, looking through her short brown hair at her stiff Hyuuga friend. She reached out to touch her shoulder, but Kiyoshi pulled away from her. Kosuke backed away, not liking the expression she caught the split-second Kiyoshi's face was visible before she turned continuing her cooking. "I'll see if anyone needs anything," Kosuke said, heading for the door.

"Arigatou," Kiyoshi whispered just as she reached the door. Kosuke paused in the doorway, wondering why her friend was so distressed but continuing down the hall anyhow. Kankuro was explaining the mission where the children were found. She didn't go in right away, closing her eyes. It had been her mission and it hadn't gone well. She still had a comrade in the hospital. Still, if they hadn't found those kids Gaara wouldn't have requested a Hyuuga which wouldn't have brought Hamaki's team to the border a few days before and that could have resulted in a number more casualties. Baki-senpai in particular would have been a huge loss to the village. It was a strange thing… fate.

Kosuke glanced back towards Kiyoshi, but decided not to go back. She entered the room shaking her head to stop Kankuro and Gaara from rising. "Kiyoshi-san started it all over," she said by way of explanation. "Something about her grandmother would disown her if she served that rubbish." A few of the others chuckled.

"Thank goodness. You don't want to know what they're feeding us here shinobi-san," Yashi muttered to Neji who glanced down at him.

"Respectful Yashi!" Yuma hissed from the other side of the proud Hyuuga.

"Don't tell him what to do!" Yuki snapped.

"All of you will be silent or you will leave this room immediately!" Kankuro barked. They looked to him, then all three pairs of eyes turned to Kosuke as if her decision would be different.

"Don't you look at me," Kosuke said. "You've brought it upon yourselves."

"We should probably talk logistics, Kazekage-sama. We know that there is some kind of organizing going on around the borders now, perhaps from the Mist's side. Regardless of what that… thing… was… it will not be possible to move the Hyuuga children until the route is cleared. Even then it might not be worth it," Hamaki said.

"And we need Kiyoshi here for communications with Konoha which would leave you without your right hand shinobi," Kankuro said, having heard it from Hamaki more than once. He didn't go out without Kiyoshi, not since she'd been assigned to him over two years ago unless it was of the utmost importance or she was injured in some way.

"So the question becomes: where do we go from here?" Hamaki said, folding his hands behind his head.

"The children must be moved, but they do not need to be moved now," Gaara said.

"I agree. I believe they should be kept here where we can protect them until the route is less treacherous. I will protect them with my life," Kosuke assured them.

"You will be risking more than just your own life," Neji spoke and eyes turned to him. He hadn't spoken in a long while almost long enough to forget his presence.

"What do you mean, Neji-san?" Tenten asked.

"If it was a secret, you would not have had this kunoichi guarding three Hyuuga." He glanced down at her stomach, which she covered unconsciously.

"It isn't," Kankuro said sternly. "Kosuke says she's-"

"I don't just say Kankuro! I can fight and I will fight to protect them. Besides, I'm unable to take on missions so I'm the only high-ranking jounin who can protect them with the village on high alert like we are," she said.

"If they are to stay here, we will need a Konoha shinobi watching over them- as well," Neji added before the kunoichi could object.

"Who would you suggest? Hamaki and Kiyoshi have too many responsibilities within the village and that one has been tasked to guard you, has she not?" Kankuro looked at Tenten who frowned at having had her name forgotten.

"I do not need protecting," Neji said.

"Whatever is brewing outside these walls obviously has something to do with the Hyuuga and while I would rather send the whole lot of you back to where you come from, I have been overruled in this," Kankuro snapped. Neji stiffened, about to rise.

"Kankuro, Kiyoshi is Hyuuga," Kosuke said, placing a hand on his arm.

"Hardly. Do you have any idea the kind of treatment the Hyuuga gave her when I was last in Konoha?" Kankuro growled. "At least in Suna our shinobi are treated with respect and dign-" Neji rose angrily, but Hamaki was one step quicker, hand on the Hyuuga's chest before he could advance on the Kazekage's own brother right in front of him.

"If you've completed your… discourse, dinner is complete," Kiyoshi said from the doorway, standing stiffly with her arms crossed. No one moved for a few moments, trying to process the interruption into the tense situation. The children were the first to jump up, eager to leave these uptight shinobi behind. Kosuke rose next, following them into the dining room and the others followed.

"Kankuro," she said softly as he moved to walk past her, the last before the Kazekage. "You do not know the Hyuuga and you certainly do not understand our customs. Do not presume to judge us even if it is as my friend."

"I wonder each day if we are as much friends as we are business-partners," he said. "And poor ones at that. Can our village's bond be so strong when even our alliance contract is betrayed and without an eye batted by the Ambassador whose duty it is to see it through."

"Kankuro," Gaara said dangerously from behind him and Kankuro huffed, moving on from the room. Kiyoshi deflated as soon as he was past, uncrossing her arms and watching him go down the hallway as Gaara walked up before her.

"Does he think me so terrible that it does not destroy me to watch all our hard work crumble and slide like sand from my hands," she whispered, looking down at her shaking hands.

"He is rash my brother. He has neither patience nor tact," Gaara replied.

"This is not a problem to be solved by patience my lord," Kiyoshi said, her hands shaking before her. "This is a problem not to be solved… ever." Her voice trembled with the words.

"Kiyoshi!" Kosuke called from down the hall causing her to flinch. She finally looked up at the Kazekage, heart-broken lavender meeting a pain-filled green.

"Gaara, I-I can't…"

"I will make excuses, just be careful Kiyoshi," he said without hesitation. She nodded, turning the opposite way and quickly leaving the building.

Kiyoshi took to the rooftops, running until she reached the highest point in the village, the tier at the top of Kazekage Tower and there she stood, her head bowed, wind blowing her long blue-tinged black ponytail behind her, her bangs fluttering around her face. She sat down with a defeated sigh, folding her legs before her. She closed her eyes, forcing back the tears.

Emotions were her weakest point. She'd always known that. How could they not be? She'd gotten so far on a need to redeem those that she loved the most. She had been betrayed so completely from such a young age but it had never taken that need for love from her. She craved love more than anything else in this world. She had never thought that duty and love would tear her apart so completely, but she knew now that it would be the end of her… at least the her she knew. She knew she could never go against her duty but that part of her… the part that craved so much for love, it would die and so would the person she had been.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" a voice asked. She looked over her shoulder to see Kosuke glaring at her.

"Hiding," she spoke.

"You were blown up Kiyoshi! You were blown up by a shinobi of SUNA and here you are out here, unprotected!" she growled.

"There are at least five Suna ANBU who can see me from here," Kiyoshi replied, turning to face the wind once more.

"That is the point Kiyoshi. You do not know who your friends are," Kosuke said.

"Who then? Kankuro?" Kiyoshi muttered.

"You know he didn't mean those things!" Kosuke said.

"You don't even know why he said them," Kiyoshi told her. "He had every right to say what he did not that I'd ever tell him that."

"So tell me!" Kosuke shouted. "I'm sick and tired of being kept out of the loop surrounded by all these great and powerful people who overlook me because of this!" The kunoichi pointed at her midsection.

"No one could underestimate the woman who had the patience to put up with Kankuro long enough to bear his child," Kiyoshi said.

"That isn't funny and don't avoid! You have told me everything since we fought together in the war. Who are you to start keeping secrets now?"

"Think about it Kosuke-san," Kiyoshi said.

"I don't want to think… I don't want to guess. I want you… my FRIEND to tell me the truth," Kosuke snapped, her brown eyes blazing with anger. Kiyoshi glanced back at her before sighing and looking out over Suna once more.

"The contract fell through," Kiyoshi said.

"What? How?" Kosuke barely breathed, taking a stumbling step back.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes," Kosuke replied. Kiyoshi nodded knowing she'd say the same thing.

"Hyuuga Hiashi has denied the marriage proposal," Kiyoshi explained.

"No!" Kosuke whispered.

"He attached the kunoichi to the highest-ranking male member of the clan aside from himself… the strongest Hyuuga," Kiyoshi said, but this time there was no pride in her voice. It was not like speaking of this to Hinata-sama… to her grandmother. This was Kosuke. She was the only one who knew the true Kiyoshi, who knew her heart as no other could. A bond had been formed during the great shinobi war between the two, a bond that could never be broken, one that brought the deep-buried Kiyoshi to the world during those dark days.

"I will be married upon my return to Konoha," she said, her voice more than just pale… it was broken.

Kosuke took a few careful steps forward. She sat down next to her comrade and hesitantly lifted her arm, draping it over her shoulders and pulling her sharply beside her. The kunoichi drew no attention, her face shadowed by long black bangs as tears silently tracked down her face. It was the first time in years she'd allowed herself to break. The last one had been after the death of a good comrade. This though… this lack of control… no one was dead, they were just outside her reach. It was worse than death. "I'm sorry Kiyo. I'm so sorry," Kosuke whispered, but her words meant little.

Gaara sat in his office, the wind carrying the softly spoken words into his office. He'd left the safe house only minutes after Kiyoshi. Of course he'd heard everything said from above him. He was one of the strongest shinobi in the world, his senses keener than most. If he concentrated he would have even been able to smell the salt of her tears in the air, but he didn't… he couldn't. He stared out the window over his village, darkness in him that he had not felt in a long time.

Thank you for reading.


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